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THE    REFUGE: 

CONTAINING    THE 

RIGHTEOUS  MAN'S  HABITATION, 

IN   THE    TIME   OF 

^Plague  antr  ^pestilence; 

Being  a  brief  Exposition  of  the  91st  Psalm ; 

BY    WILLIAM    BRIDGE, 

Somelime  Fellow  of  Emanuel  College,  Cambridge, 

and  late  Preacher  of  the  Word  of  God, 

at  Yarmouth. 

ALSO, 

AN  EXPOSITION  OF  THE  91st  PSALM, 

BY- 
REV.  BISHOP  GEORGE   HORNE.  -"^ 
WITH   AN   EXTRACT   FROM   AN   ACCOUNT   OF   THE 

GREAT    PliAGUE 

IN     THE     FOURTEENTH    CENTURY. 


NEW-YORK  : 

PUBLISHED    BY  DANIEL   APPLETON, 
CLINTON    HALL. 


1832. 


This  work  was  first  published  at  London,  in  1665, 
during  the  prevalence  of  the  "  Great  Plague,"  by 
which,  at  tiie  lowest  calculation,  68,000  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  that  city  died.  The  author  Was  a  member 
of  the  Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines,  a  distin- 
guished preacher  and  popular  writer. 


G.  F.  Bunce,  Printer. 


THE 

RIGHTEOUS   MAN'S   HABITATION, 

Psalm  xci. 

1.  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High,  shall ^bide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.  , 

2.  I  will*y:,of  the  Lord,  he  is  my  refuge,  and  my 
fortress  :  thy  God,  in  him  will  I  trust. 

3.  Surely  he  shall  deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of 
the  fowler  :  and  from  the  noisome  pestilence. 

4.  He  shall  cover  thre  with  his  feathers,  and  under 
his  wings  shalt  thou  trust,  his  truth  shall  be  thy  shield 
and  buckler. 

5.  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror Ji)y  night ; 
nor  for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day  : 

6.  Nor  for  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness  : 
nor  for  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noon-day. 

7.  A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side,  and  ten  thou- 
sand at  thy  right  hand  ;  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh 
thee. 

8.  Only  with  thine  eyes  shak  thou  behold,  and 
see  the  reward  of  the  wicked. 

9.  Because  thou  hast  made  the  Lord  which  is  my 
refuge,  even  the  Most  High,  thy  habitation  : 

10.  There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall 
any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwelling. 


il.  For  he  shall  give  his  augels  charge  over  thee, 
to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 

12.  They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest 
thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stoue. 

13.  Thou  shalt  tread  upon  the  lion,  and  adder  ;  the 
young  lion  and  the  dragon  shalt  tho\l  trample  Under 
feet. 

14.  Because  he  hath  set  his  love  upon  me,  there- 
fore will  I  deliver  him  ;  I  will  set  him  on  high,  be- 
cause he  hath  known  my  name. 

15.  He  shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him  t 
I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble,  I  will  deliver  him,  and 
honour  him. 

16.  VViih  long  life  will  I  satisfy  him,  and  show  him 
my  salvation. 


This  Psalm  (it  is  thought)  was  made 
upon  the  occasion  of  the  plague  and  pes- 
tilence that  was  in  David's  time ;  (so 
Molerus ;)  wherein  you  have  the  best  an- 
tidote against  the  plague  and  pestilence. 
The  whole  Psalm  is  nothing  else  but  a 
great  promise  of  special  protection  for 
those  that  trust  in  the  Lord  in  the  time  of 
the  plague  :  wherein  three  or  four  things 
are  most  especially  considerable,  the  evil, 
danger,  and  miser}/  of  the  plague  or  pes- 
tilence ;  protection  and  deliverance  pro- 


mised  in  the  time  thereof;  the  persons 
upon  whom  the  promise  is  entailed  ;  the 
way?  mode,  means,  and  manner,  how- 
God  will  deliver  and  protect  in  the  time 
of  a  plague.  As  for  the  evil,  danger, 
and  misery  of  the  plague  or  pestilence, ' 
you  have  it  in  many  terms  expressed  in 
several  verses.  In  the  third  verse  it  is 
called  '  the  snare  of  the  fowler  ;'  '  he  will 
deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler:' 
it  is  called  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  be- 
cause it  takes  men  before  they  are  aware ; 
the  word  '  and,^  that  follows,  should  not 
be  in  the  line,  so  the  next  words  do  ex- 
plain it,  '  He  shall  deliver  thee  from  the 
snare  of  the  fowler :  from  the  noisome 
pestilence  :'  then  it  is  called  the  noisome 
pestilence.  In  the  Hebrew  it  is  called 
the  pestilence  of  woes  or  calamity,  that 
is,  most  calamitous  pestilence,  that  dis- 
ease or  sickness,  that  is  accompanied 
with  the  most  calamity.  In  the  fifth 
verse  it  is  called  '  the  terror  by  night,' 
and,  '  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day :'  for 
with  this  arrow  God  doth  kill  and  hit  men 
at  a  distance,  a  ^reat  way  off,  when  they 


think  to  fly  away  and  be  at  rest.  It  is 
said  in  the  sixth  verse,  that  it  '  walketh 
in  darkness  ;'  and  it  is  called  '  destruction 
that  wasteth  at  noon-day,'  in  regard  of 
the  spreading  and  infective  nature  of  it. 
At  the  thirteenth  verse  it  is  compared 
unto  '  the  lion  and  adder,  the  young  lion 
and  the  dragon,'  for  the  destructive  and 
devouring  nature  of  it,  which  nothing 
can  stand  before. 

Secondly,  as  for  the  protection  promis- 
ed in  the  time  thereof,  you  have  that  in 
the  general  at  the  first  verse,  '  He  that 
dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High  shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Almighty  :'  more  particularly  at  the  third 
verse,  '  Surely  he  shall  dehver  thee  from 
the  snare  of  the  fowler :  from  the  noi- 
some pestilence,  he  shall  cover  thee  with 
his  feathers,  and  under  his  wings  shalt 
thou  trust.  His  truth  shall  be  thy  shield 
and  buckler,'  at  the  fourth  verse.  At 
the  fifth  and  sixth  verses  again,  '  Thou 
shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror  by  night : 
nor  fj.-  ■ 'le  arrow  that  flieth  by  day:  nor 
for  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  dark- 


ness  ;  nor  for  the  destruction  that  wasteth 
at  noon-day.'  And  again,  '  A  thousand 
shall  fall  at  thy  side,  and  ten  thousand  at 
ihy  right  hand ;  (in  the  seventh  verse) 
but  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee.'  In  the 
tenth  verse,  '  No  evil  shall  befall  thee, 
neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy 
dwelling.  For  he  shall  give  his  angels 
charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy 
M^ays.'  And  at  the  last  verse,  '  With 
long  life  will  I  satisfy  him,  and  show  him 
my  salvation.' 

As  for  the  persons  whom  this  promise 
of  protection  is  entailed  upon,  they  are 
such  as  '  do  trust  in  the  Lord.  He  that 
dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High ;  that  say  of  the  Lord,  he  is  my 
refuge  and  my  fortress :  my  God,  in  him 
I  will  trust,'  verse  2.  At  the  ninth  verse, 
'  Because  thou  hast  made  the  Lord  which 
is  my  refuge,  even  the  most  High,  thy 
habitation,  there  shall  no  evil  befall  thee, 
neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy 
dwelling.  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for 
the  terror  by  night,  nor  for  the  arrow  that 
flieth  by  day,'  at  the  fifth  verse.     And  as 


8 


lor  the  means,  and  way,  and  mode  how 
God  will  deliver  in  the  time  of  the  plague, 
he  will  do  it  by  his  angels  ;  '  There  shall 
no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague 
come  nigh  thy  dwelling.  For  he  shall 
give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep 
thee  in  all  thy  ways.  They  shall  bear 
thee  up  in  their  hands,'  &c. 

From  all  which,  then,  I  take  up  this 
doctrine  or  observation  :  though  the  dan- 
ger, evil,  and  misery  of  the  pestilence  be 
exceeding  great,  yet  God  will  in  an  espe- 
cial manner  protect  and  deliver  those  that 
do  trust  in  him  in  the  time  of  a  plague. 

For  the  clearing  and  prosecution  where- 
of, first  of  all,  I  shall  a  little  labour  to 
show  you,  that  the  evil,  misery,  and  dan- 
ger of  a  plague  is  exceeding  great.  2dry, 
That  yet  the  Lord  will  protect  and  deliver 
those  that  do  trust  in  him.  3dly,  What 
that  faith  is,  and  what  that  trust  is,  that 
God  hath  promised  this  protection  to  in 
the  time  of  a  plague.  4thly,  I  would 
answer  to  some  objections,  questions,  or 
cases  of  conscience.  Then,  5thly,  show 
how  and  by  what  means  God   will  prps 


tect  and  deliver  in  the  time  of  a  plague. 
Then  call  upon  you  and  myself,  to  do  our 
duty  in  this  day. 

As  for  tlie  first,  I  shall  not  be  long  in 
it.  The  misery  and  danger  of  the  plague 
is  sufficiently  known.  It  is  called  the 
plague  above  all  other  diseases,  as  if  it 
were  the  plague  of  plagues. 

The  several  and  particular  judgments 
and  evils  that  fell  upon  Pharaoh,  they 
were  called  plagues,  they  were  all 
plagues  ;  but  now  the  pestilence  carries 
the  name  of  the  plague,  as  if  that,  of  all 
other  diseases,  were  the  plague  of  plagues. 

It  is,  first  of  all,  a  most  dreadful  and 
terrible  disease :  it  is  here  called  in  this 
Psalm,  '  the  terror  by  night,'  fifth  verse, 
'  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror  by 
night.'  Terror  by  night ;  why,  the  night 
itself  is  a  time  of  fear  and  terror :  dark- 
ness brings  fear ;  but  the  plague  is  the 
night  of  night,  and  the  King  of  Terrors. 
How  do  men  quake  and  tremble,  and  fly 
away  at  the  noise  of  this,  the  report  of 
this.  When  God  appeared  in  his  great- 
Tiess,  majesty,  and  glory,  gave  a  terrible 


10 


appearance  of  himself;  it  is  said  in  the 
third  of  Habakkuk,  that  the  pestilence 
went  before  him.  In  the  third  verse, '  God 
came  from  Teman,  and  the  Holy  One 
from  jMount  Paran.  Seiah.  His  glory- 
covered  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  was 
full  of  his  praise,  and  his  brightness  was 
as  the  light.  He  had  horns  coming  out 
of  his  hand,  and  there  was  the  hiding  of 
his  power.'  In  the  fifth  verse,  '  Before 
him  went  the  pestilence,  and  burning 
coals  went  forth  at  his  feet.'  Before  him 
went  the  pestilence,  as  his  officer  and  ex- 
ecutioner. When  the  Lord  doth  set  forth 
his  terrible  appearance,  thus  he  sets  it 
forth,  '  The  pestilence  went  before  him.' 
Without  all  doubt  it  is  that  disease  that  is 
most  dreadful  and  terrible.  And,  2dly, 
as  it  is  the  most  dreadful  and  terrible  dis- 
ease, so  it  is  the  most  painful  disease. 
The  more  suddenly  any  man  is  taken 
away  in  his  strength,  the  more  painful  is 
his  disease  he  dies  of:  a  man  that  is  spent 
with  sickness,  he  is  easily  blown  out :  but 
when  a  man  in  his  full  strength  shall  sud- 
denly die.  it  costs  him  a  great  deal  of 


11 


pain.  Thus  it  is,  when  the  plague  takes 
one  away  in  his  t'lll  strength  in  a  little 
time,  therefore  it  is  a  very  painful  dis- 
ease :  and  as  it  is  a  very  painful  dis- 
ease, so  it  is  an  uncomfortable  dis- 
ease :  then  all  friends  leave  us,  then  a 
man  or  woman  sit  and  lie  all  alone,  and  is 
a  stranger  to  the  breath  of  his  o\x\\  rela- 
tions. If  a  man  be  sick  of  a  fever,  it  is 
some  comfort  that  he  can  take  a  bed  staff 
and  knock,  and  his  servant  comes  up  and 
helps  him  with  a  cordial.  But  if  a  man 
be  sick  of  the  plague,  theji  he  sits  and  lies 
all  alone ;  it  is  the  mOst^^ncomfortable 
disease  :  and  as  it  is  that  disease  that  is 
most  uncomfortable,  so  it  is  that  disease 
that  is  most  mortal,  and  therefore,  of  all 
other  diseases,  it  is  called  death.  In  the 
sixth  of  the  Revelation,  we  read  of  the 
sword  and  famine,  in  the  former  part  of 
the  chapter  ;  but  in  the  8th  verse,  '  And 
I  looked,  and  behold  a  pale  horse  ;  and 
his  name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death.* 
The  sword  is  spoken  of  plainly  before,  in 
the  fourth  verse,  'And  there  went  out 
another  horse,  that  was  red  :  and  power 


12 


was  given  to  him  that  sat  thereon,  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they 
should  kill  one  another :  and  there  was 
given  unto  him  a  great  sword ;'  there  is 
the  sword :  then  at  the  sixth  verse  there 
is  a  famine,  '  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  midst 
of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measure  of 
wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measures 
of  barley  for  a  penny  :'  now  at  the  eighth 
verse  comes  on  the  pestilence,  and  that  is 
called  death ;  not  the  sword,  or  famine, 
but  the  plague  is  that  which  hath  the 
name  of  death  ;  because  of  all  other  dis- 
eases it  is  the  most  mortal ;  and  as  it  is 
the  most  mortal  disease,  so  it  is  the  most 
unavoidable  disease.  It  may  be  avoided 
through  the  goodness  of  God ;  but  I  speak 
comparatively,  of  all  diseases  it  is  the 
most  unavoidable.  And  it  is  the  disease 
that  is  the  most  emptying  disease ;  it 
empties  houses,  and  it  empties  towns,  and 
empties  cities.  God  threatens  to  empty 
a  nation  as  a  man  empties  a  dish,  and 
wipes  it,  and  turns  it  upside  down.  So 
to  a  family  it  is  the  most  emptying  dis- 
ease of  all  other.     But  J  will  not  st^y 


i^ 


here ;  it  is  too  manifest  that  this  evilj 
misery,  and  clanger  of  a  plague  is  ex» 
ceeding  great. 

But  yet,  in  the  second  place,  there  are 
a  generation  whom  God  will  protect  and 
deliver  in  the  day  of  a  plague.  It  was 
always  so  in  the  most  desolating  judg- 
ments :  when  the  flood  came  was  Noah 
and  his  house  spared  ;  and  when  Sodom 
was  destroyed,  there  was  Lot  and  his 
house  preserved  and  delivered.  In  the 
sixth  chapter  of  Isaiah,  ye  read  of  a  deso- 
lation that  looks  like  a  plague :  '  Then 
said  I,  Lord,  How  long  ?  And  he  answer- 
ed (at  the  eleventh  verse)  iintil  the  cities 
be  wasted  and  without  inhabitants,  and 
the  houses  be  without  man,  and  the  land 
be  utterly  desolate,  and  the  L-ord  have  re- 
moved men  far  away  :'  yet,  says  he  at  the 
thirteenth  verse,  'There  shall  be  a  tenth, 
and  it  shall  return,  and  shall  be  eaten  as 
a  teyle  tree,  and  as  an  oak,  whose  sub- 
stance is  in  them,'  &c.  yet  there  is  a  ge- 
neration ^^'hom  the  Lord  will  preserve  and 
deliver  in  such  a  general  desolation  as 
this.     But  who  are  these  1    This  Psalm 


14 


tells  us, '  they  are  such  as  do  trust  in  the 
Lord ;'  those  that  trust  in  the  Lord  in  the 
time  of  a  plague. 

But  why  is  there  such  a  promise  of 
protection  entailed  upon  those  that  trust 
in  the  Lord  in  the  time  of  a  plague  1  Why, 
first  of  all,  God  will  be  all  that  to  us  which 
we  make  him,  and  build  upon  him  for :  as 
in  Psalm  xxxi.  2, 3.  '  Be  thou  my  rock, 
for  thou  art  my  rock,  be  thou  my  defence, 
for  thou  art  my  fortress  :'  in  the  latter  end 
of  the  second  verse,  '  Be  thou  my  strong 
rock,  for  an  house  of  defence  to  save  me, 
for  thou  art  my  rock  and  my  fortress.' 
Lord  be  that  unto  me,  which  I  build  upon 
thee  for.  Thou  art  my  rock,  therefore 
be  my  rock :  this  is  his  argument.  Now, 
by  faith  and  trusting  in  the  Lord,  we  do 
make  God  our  protector,  and  therefore  he 
will  be  a  protector  to  those  that  do  trust 
unto  him  in  time  of  a  plague. 

2dly.  Those  that  honour  providence, 
shall  be  kept  by  providence.  Jacob,  what 
a  wonderful  great  estate  he  attained  unto; 
he  presented  Esau  with  a  present  fit  for 
a  king  to  give.     How  came  he  by  this 


15 

great  estate  ?  There  was  controversy  be- 
twixt Laban  and  him,  and  he  puts  the 
business  upon  providence,  and  providence 
made  him  rich :  those  that  honour  provi- 
dence, shall  be  kept  by  providence.  Faith 
and  trusting  in  God  in  the  time  of  a 
plague,  honour  providence;  therefore 
they  that  trust  in  God  in  such  a  day  shall 
be  kept. 

3dly.  Thereby  God  is  engaged  to  help 
and  deliver.  In  Psalm  xxxvii.  last  verse, 
'  The  Lord  shall  help  them  and  deliver 
them,  he  shall  save  them,  because  they 
trust  in  him  ;  because  they  trust  in  him, 
God  is  engaged  to  help  and  deliver,  if 
men  trust  in  him.  So  in  Isaiah  xxvi.  3, 
*  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace, 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because 
he  trusteth  in  thee.'  Our  very  trusting  in 
the  Lord  for  deliverance  and  protection, 
doth  engage  God  to  deliver  and  protect. 

4thly.  When  did  God  do  ever  any 
great  thing,  but  it  was  put  upon  faith : 
ye  read  of  great  victories  in  the  time  of 
the  Old  Testament,  and  these  were  put 
upon  faith :  ye  read  of  great  cures  in  the 


16 


time  of  the  New  Testament,  and  those 
were  put  upon  faith.  When  did  God  do 
any  great  thing  but  it  was  put  upon  faith? 
Now  to  be  preserved  and  protected  in  the 
time  of  a  plague,  when  thousands  fall  on 
the  right  hand  and  on  our  left,  it  is  a  great 
matter,  next  unto  a  miracle ;  therefore  it 
must  be  put  upon  faith. 

Again,  God  will  honour  those  persons, 
atid  those  graces  most,  that  honour  him 
most:  of  all  graces  faith  honours  God 
most,  therefore  God  will  honour  that 
most;  no  wonder,  then,  that  this  protection 
is  put  upon  faith  and  trusting  in  the  Lord. 

One  thing  more  ;  there  lies  a  blessing 
in  course  for  all  those  that  put  themselves 
under  the  wing  of  the  Lord  in  trusting  in 
him.  In  the  second  of  Ruth,  verse  12, 
says  Boaz  to  Ruth,  '  The  Lord  recom- 
pense thy  work,  and  a  full  reward  be 
given  thee  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel, 
under  whose  wings  thou  art  come  to 
trust ;'  under  whose  wings  thou  hast  put 
thyself.  It  is  faith,  and  faith  only,  that 
puts  us  under  the  wings  of  God.  Psalm 
lvii«  at  the  first  verse,  *  Be  merciful  unto 


17 


me,  O  God,  be  merciful  mito  me,  for  my 
soultrusteth  in  thee  ;  yea,  in  the  shadow 
of  thy  wings  will  I  make  my  refuge, 
until  these  calamities  be  overpast :'  it  is 
faith  that  doth  put  a  man  under  the  wing 
of  God.  In  Psalm  xxxvi.  7,  '  How  ex- 
cellent is  thy  loving-kindness,  O  God, 
therefore  the  children  of  men  put  their 
trust  under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings.' 
Faith,  of  all  other  graces,  puts  a  man 
under  the  shadow  of  God's  wing ;  and 
there  lies  a  blessing  in  course  (I  say)  for 
all  those  that  put  themselves  under  God's 
wing;  therefore  no  wonder  that  this 
great  promise  of  protection  and  deliver- 
ance in  the  time  of  a  plague  is  entailed 
upon  trusting  in  God. 

Well,  but  then  thirdly,  what  faith  is 
this,  what  trust  is  that  God  hath  promised 
protection  and  deliverance  to  in  the  time 
of  a  plague ;  what  act  of  faith  is  it  ? 
what  faith  is  it  I  1  answer,  first,  there  is 
a  faith  of  persuasion,  called  faith,  where- 
by men  are  persuaded  and  verily  believe 
that  they  shall  not  die  nor  fall  by  the 
hand  of  the  plague.  This  is  well ;  but 
2 


18 

I  do  not  find  in  tlie  91st  Psalm,  that  this 
protection  is  entailed  upon  this  persua- 
sion, neither  do  I  find  this  faith  here  men- 
tioned. 

2dly.  There  is  a  faith  of  reliance, 
whereby  a  man  doth  rely  upon  God  for 
salvation  ;  this  is  a  justifying  faith  ;  true 
justifying  faith  ;  this  is  true  faith  indeed : 
but  I  do  not  find  in  this  Psalm,  that  this 
promise  of  protection  and  deliverance  in 
the  time  of  a  plague  is  entailed  upon  this, 
nor  that  this  is  here  mentioned. 

But  again,  3dly,  There  is  a  faith,  I 
may  call  it  a  faith  of  recourse  unto  God, 
whereby  a  man  doth  betake  himself  unto 
God  for  shelter,  for  protection,  as  to  his 
habitation  :  when  other  men  do  run,  one 
this  way,  another  that  way,  to  their 
hiding-places :  in  the  time  of  a  plague, 
for  a  man  then  to  betake  himself  to  God 
as  to  his  habitation,  I  think  this  is  the 
faith  that  is  here  spoken  of  in  this  91st 
Psalm  i  for  do  but  mark  the  words  of  the 
Psalm ;  at  the  first  verse,  '  He  that  dwell- 
eth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High,' 
in  the  hiding  place  of  the  Most  High ;  as 


19 


if  he  should  sa}'',  when  others  run  from 
the 'plague  and  pestilence,  and  run  to 
their  hiding  places,  '  He  that  dwelleth  in 
the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High,'  that 
betakes  himself  to  God  as  his  hiding 
place  and  his  habitation,  he  shall  abide 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty,  he 
shall  be  protected.  And  so  at  the  ninth 
verse,  '  Because  thou  hast  made  the  Lord 
which  is  my  refuge  even  the  Most  High 
thy  habitation,  there  shall  no  evil  befall 
thee,  neither  shall  any  plagne  come  nigh 
thy  dwelling  ;'  as  if  he  should  say  thus, 
in  time  of  a  plague  men  are  running  and 
looking  out  for  habitations  and  hiding 
places  ;  but  because  thou  hast  made  the 
Lord  thy  habitation,  and  hast  recourse  to 
him  as  thy  habitation,  '  no  evil  shall  befall 
thee,  neither  shall  the  plague  come  nigh 
thy  dwelling :'  and  again,  at  the  eleventh 
V€rse,  it  is  said,  '  He  shall  give  his  an- 
gels charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all 
thy  ways,'  the  ways  of  thy  calling :  as 
if  he  should  say,  in  the  time  of  a  plague 
men  will  be  very  apt  to  leave  their  sta- 
tion and  calling,  and  so  run  away  from 
the  plague  and  pestilence  :  but  (saith  he) 


20 


^he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over 
thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways,'  the 
ways  of  thy  calling  and  place ;  that  is, 
look  when  a  man  in  the  time  of  a  plague 
shall  conscientiously  keep  his  station  and 
place,  and  betake  himself  to  God  as  his 
habitation  :  this  is  the  faith  that  is  here 
spoken  of,  and  this  is  the  faith  that  God 
hath  promised  protection  to,  here  in  this 
91st  Psalm. 

But  you  will  say -then,  is  it  not  lawful 
to  fly  in  the  time  of  persecution  ?  Yes, 
without  all  doubt  it  is,  so  you  carry  God 
along  with  you  for  your  habitation,  so 
you  make  God  your  habitation  still;  a 
man  may  lawfully  seek  the  preservation 
of  his  life  and  the  life  of  his  family. 

But  stay ;  the  plague  is  called  the 
hand  of  God ;  and  can  a  man  flee  from 
the  hand  of  God  ?  Mark  a  little  for  an- 
swer :  the  hand  of  God  is  either  mediate 
or  immediate  :  suppose  that  the  plague  or 
pestilence  were  the  immediate  hand  of 
God,  and  nothing  of  nature  or  infection 
in  it  :  yet  it  is  lawful  to  fly ;  it  is  law^- 
ful  to  go  out  of  that  place  where  the 
immediate  hand  of  God  rests.     In  the 


21 


sixteenth  of  Numbers  there  was  an  im- 
mediate hand  of  God  upon  Korah,  Da- 
than,  and  Abiram,  for  the  earth  opened 
her  mouth  and  swallowed  them  up  ;  here 
was  an  immediate  hand  of  God :  yet  the 
Lord  speaks  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron, 
saying,  in  the  twenty  first  verse, '  Separate 
yourselves  from  amongst  this  congrega- 
tion, that  I  may  consume  them  in  a  mo- 
ment ;'  and  at  the  twenty  fourth  verse, 
'  Speak  unto  the  congregation,  saying,  get 
ye  up  from  about  the  tabernacle  of  Korah, 
Dathan,  and  Abiram  1  which  was  the  im- 
mediate hand  of  God,  and  yet  notwithstand- 
ing they  were  to  go  from  among  them  that 
the  hand  of  God  fell  upon,  though  it  were 
an  immediate  hand.  ^  And  in  the  follow- 
ing part  of  the  chapter  the  same  expres- 
sion is  used  for  the  plague  :  in  the  forty- 
fourth  verse,  '  They"  murmured,  and  the 
Lord  struck  them  with  the  plague.'  Well, 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  in 
the  forty-fifth  verse,  '  Get  you  up  from 
amongst  this  congregation,  that  I  may 
consume  them  as  in  a  moment  :'  the 
same  that  is  said  before,  is  said  here  con- 


22 


ceniing  the  plague.  So  that  I  say,  al- 
though the  plague  were  the  mimediate 
hand  of  God,  and  there  were  nothing  of 
nature  or  infection  in  it,  yet  it  were  law- 
ful to  fly. 

But  secondly,  the  plag:ue  or  pestilence 
is  not  so  the  hand  of  God,  as  if  there 
were  no  infection  in  it ;  for  if  there  were 
no  infection  in  it ;  if  there  were  not  some- 
thing of  nature  in  it,  it  could  not  be  cured 
by  remedies,  nothing  would  do  good; 
therefore  it  is  not  so  the  hand  of  God  as  if 
there  were  nothing  of  infection  in  it ;  but 
it  is  called  the  hand  of  God,  because  God's 
providence  hath  a  special  hand  in  the 
sending  and  ordering  of  it.  So  now  the 
famine  may  be  called  God's  hand :  God 
sends  it :  '  I  wall  call  for  a  famine  upon 
the  land,'  says  God  :  a  famine  is  of  God's 
sending,  and  therefore  may  I  not  fly  from 
a  famine  ]  Abraham,  when  there  was  a 
famine  in  the  land,  went  down  to  Abime- 
lech :  Isaac,  w^hen  there  was  a  famine  in 
the  land,  went  down :  and  Jacob,  when 
there  was  a  famine  in  the  land,  went  down 
into  Egypt.     And  is  it  lawful  to  fly  in  the 


23 


time  of  a  famine,  and  is  it  not  lawful  to 
fly  in  the  time  of  a  plague?  Certainly, 
the  one  as  well  as  the  other. 

But  then  you  will  say,  if  the  Lord  hath 
promised  protection  and  deliverance  to 
those  that  trust  in  him  in  the  time  of  a 
plague,  whether  is  it  possible  for  a  be- 
liever to  die  by  a  plague,  seeing  the  whole 
Psalm  is  made  to  those ;  and  promise  such 
protection  to  those  that  trust  in  the  Lord, 
whether  may  a  believer  die  of  the  plague  ? 
Without  all  doubt  he  may.  Seventy  thou- 
sand died  in  David's  time :  do  you  think 
there  w^as  not  a  good  man  among  them  1 
It  is  recorded  of  several  good  men,  that 
they  died  of  the  plague ;  but  you  know 
what  issaid,  J.Z/  things  fall  alike  to  good 
and  dad :  if  a  good  man  may  not  die  of 
the  plague,  how  can  all  things  fall  alike  to 
good  and  bad  ] 

But  how  then  is  the  promise  fulfilled,  if 
that  a  believer  may  die  by  the  hand  of  a 
plague  ?  Yes  very  well ;  for  possibly  a 
believer  may  be  out  of  his  way,  as  good 
Josiah  w^as,  and  died,  though  God  pro- 
mised him  that  he  should  die  in  peace. 


24 


No  disparagement  to  tlie  promise ;  for  he 
was  out  of  his  way ;  and  this  promise  of 
protection  in  the  time  of  a  plague  is  made 
to  those  believers  that  are  in  God's  way  : 
'  He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over 
thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  his  ways;'  there- 
fore if  a  believer  be  oat  of  God's  way  and 
die,  it  is  no  disparagement  to  this  promise. 

But,  2dly,  you  must  know  that  this 
promise  of  protection  and  deliverance  is 
not  made  to  a  believer  as  a  believer,  but 
as  acting  and  exercising  faith  ;  for  though 
a  man  be  a  believer,  if  he  doubt,  act,  and 
exercise  his  faith,  this  promise  wull  not 
reach  him  ;  therefore  if  a  believer  die  not 
exercising  faith  and  trusting  in  God,  no 
disparagement  to  the  promise. 

Thirdly,  you  must  know  that  this  pro- 
mise is  not  made  to  a  believer  barely  ex- 
ercising and  acting  faith ;  but  such  an  act 
of  faith,  and  such  an  act  of  trust  as  you 
have  heard  of;  therefore,  though  a  be- 
liever die,  and  die  exercising  some  faith, 
yet  this  promise  is  fulfilled  ;  for  it  is  made 
to  such  an  act  of  faith  as  you  have  heard  of. 

But  then,  again,  4thly,  you  must  know 


25 


this  promise  is  not  made  to  a  believer  ab- 
solutel3%  but  in  opposition  to  the  wicked: 
therefore  it  is  said,  the  Lord  having  pro- 
mised this  to  a  believer,  '  that  no  evil 
should  befall  him,though  a  thousand  should 
fall  at  his  side,  and  len  thousand  at  his 
right  hand;'  at  the  eighth  verse  it  is  said, 
(so  Montanus,  rather  then  only  but)  '  with 
thine  eyes  shalt  thou  behold,  and  see  the 
reward  of  the  wicked:'  as  if  he  should 
say,  though  this  or  that  particular  believer 
die  of  the  plague  ;  believers  shall  outlive 
the  wicked,  and  be  last  upon  the  ground, 
and  they  shall  see  the  reward  of  the  wick- 
ed; they  shall  see  this  judgment  sweep 
away  the  ungodly. 

-  But  again,  further,  if  I  should  interpret 
this  as  A.ustin  doth  in  the  first  of  John, 
concerning  Christ,  where  it  is  said,  '  he 
enlightens  every  one  that  comes  into  the 
world,'  that  is  (says  Austin)  all  that  are 
enlightened,  are  enlightened  by  him.  As 
you  say  of  a  schoolmaster  in  a  town,  this 
schoolmaster  teaches  all  the  boys  in  the 
town;  not  that  he  teaches  every  particu- 
lar boy  in  the  town,  but  that  all  that  are 


taught,  are  taught  by  him.  So  says  he, 
Christ  enlightens  every  one  that  comes 
into  the  world,  that  is,  all  that  are  en- 
lightened, are  enlightened  by  him.  So 
here  the  Lord  doth  promise  protection 
and  deliverance  to  all  those  that  do  be- 
lieve in  the  time  of  a  plague  ;  that  is,  all 
that  have  protection  and  deliverance  (in 
the  time  of  the  plague)  have  it  from  him. 

But  to  end  this,  I  do  think  that  this  91st 
Psalm  doth  hold  forth  a  promise  of  spe- 
cial protection  in  the  time  of  a  plague, 
for  believers ;  the  scope  of  it  is  not,  that 
every  particular  believer  shall  not  die;  but 
the  drift  and  scope  of  the  Psalm  is,  to 
hold  forth  a  speciality  of  protection  for 
believers  in  the  time  of  a  plague.  For  as 
the  time  of  a  plague  is  a  time  of  special 
danger  ;  so  God  hath  given  out  a  special 
promise,  and  there  shall  be  a  speciality 
of  protection  for  his  people  in  the  time  of 
this  danger  ;  and  that  is  the  meaning  of 
this  place. 

Well,  but  how,  and  by  what  means 
will  God  protect  and  deliver  those  that 
trust  in  him  in  the  time  of  a  plague  % 


27 


For  that  I  shall  say  only  thus  much; 
He  will  do  it  by  the  ministration  of  an- 
gels, specially  by  the  ministration  of  an- 
gels :  when  angels  go  forth  to  destroy, 
then  angels  must  go  forth  to  deliver,  seal, 
and  secure  ;  as  in  the  seventh  of  the  Re- 
velation, and  first  verse,  '  After  these 
things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  at  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four 
winds  of  the  earth,  that  the  Avind  should 
not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor 
on  any  tree :  And  I  saw  another  angel 
ascending  from  the  east,  having  the  seal 
of  the  living  God;  and  he  cried  Avith  a 
loud  voice  to  the  four  angels  to  whom  it 
w:as  given  to  hurt  the  earth,  and  the  sea, 
saying,  hurt  not,'  &c.  When  angels  go 
forth  to  hurt,  then  angels  must  go  forth  to 
seal,  and  save,  and  protect :  now  in  the 
time  of  a  plague,  angels  go  forth  to  de- 
stroy ;  therefore,  saith  the  Lord  here,  '  I 
will  give  my  angels  charge  over  thee,  to 
keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways,  they  shall  bear 
thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest  thou  dash  thy 
foot  against  the  stone.'  Have  I  given  my 
angels  commission  to  destroy]  I  have 
given  my  angels  charge.over  thee,  to  keep 


28 


thee  in  all  thy  ways.  Thus  now  men 
shall  be  preserved  and  delivered  in  the 
time  of  a  plague,  by  the  ministry  of  an- 
gels. x4nd  so  you  have  the  words  opened. 

Now  to  bring  things  home  to  ourselves 
by  way  of  application.  Here  we  may 
see  what  is  our  work,  our  great  work  this 
day.  The  day  we  are  fallen  into  is  a 
dark  day ;  a  day  of  the  plague  and  the 
pestilence  :  it  is  good  for  us  to  inquire 
what  our  work  is ;  it  is  good  at  all  times, 
but  now  especially,  to  inquire  what  our 
work  is.  Oh !  what  is  ray  work  this 
day  ]  Now  the  Avork  of  this  day,  our 
work  is  to  trust  in  the  Lord;  this  is 
the  work  that  protection  and  deliver- 
ance in  the  time  of  a  plague  is  entailed 
upon.  Who  is  there  that  does  not  desire 
to  be  protected  and  delivered  from  this 
plague  ;  Oh,  that  I  and  my  family  may  be 
preserved  !  behold  here  your  antidote  to 
keep  you  from  the  plague ;  '  Trust  in  the 
Lord,  as  ever  you  and  your  family  may 
be  protected  now  in  this  evil  day.  Trust 
in  the  Lord,  and  call  upon  yours  to  trust 
in  the  Lord !' 

But  what  shall  we  du  that  we  may 


29 


trust  in  the  Lord  in  this  day  of  the  plagnel 
First  of  all,  j^ou  must  repent  of  your  own 
sins,  and  be  sorrowful  for  the  sins  of 
others,  and  of  the  times  wherein  you  live. 
When  the  plague  came  in  David's  time, 
you  know  what  David  did,  he  repented  ; 
'  Lord,'  says  he,  '  I  have  done  foolishly  ; 
as  for  these  sheep  what  have  they  done  1 
It  is  I,  Lord,  it  is  L'  So  let  every  one  do; 
this  God  expects  in  the  time  of  a  plague. 
In  the  4th  chapter  of  Amos,  sa5^s  the  Lord 
there,  in  the  tenth  verse,  '  I  have  sent 
among  you  the  pestilence  after  the  man- 
ner of  Egypt:  your  young  men  have  I 
slain  with  the  sword;  and  have  taken 
away  your  horses,  and  I  have  made  the 
stink  of  your  camps  to  come  up  unto  your 
nostrils ;  yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto 
me,  saith  the  Lord.'  When  God  sends 
the  pestilence,  then  he  expects  that  men 
and  women  should  return  unto  him  ;  re- 
pent and  return  unto  him.  In  the  9th  of 
Ezekiel ;  those  that  sigh  and  mourn  for 
the  abominations,  they  are  marked,  when 
men  go  into  the  city  with  their  destroy- 
ing weapons.     Those  that  sigh  and  mourn 


30 


for  the  evil  of  the  times,  they  are  the 
marked  men.  They  are  not  marked  for 
dehverance,  that  do  abstain  from  sin ;  a 
man  may  be  given  to  drunkenness,  and 
may  leave  his  drunkenness,  but  that  will 
not  bring  him  under  the  mark :  men  are 
not  brought  under  the  mark  for  deliver- 
ance, that  do  repent  of  their  own  sin  :  but 
the  mark  is  set  upon  those  that  do  mourn 
for  other  men's  sins  :  but  now  I  put  both 
together ;  if  you  trust  in  the  Lord  in  this 
evil  day,  in  the  time  of  a  plague,  repent 
for  your  own  sins,  and  mourn  for  the  sins 
of  others.  For  how  can  I  trust  in  the 
Lord  for  protection,  if  I  do  not  repent  of 
•  my  sins  ?  If  I  live  in  any  sin,  and  do 
not  turn  from  all  my  evil  ways,  how  can 
I  trust  in  the  Lord  1  I  cannot  do  it : 
therefore  repent  and  be  sorrowful  for  your 
own  sins,  and  for  the  sins  of  others. 

Secondly,  get  assurance  of  your  inter- 
est in  Christ ;  Christ  is  our  great  High 
Priest  that  makes  the  atonement,  as 
Aaron  did  in  the  time  of  the  plague  ;  it 
is  by  the  ministry  of  angels  especially 
that  we  are  kept  in  the  time  of  a  plague ; 


31 


now  says  our  Saviour  Christ  to  Nathan- 
iel, '  Because  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig 
tree  believest  thou  1  thou  shalt  see  greater 
things  than  these.  And  he  saith  unto 
him,  verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  here- 
after ye  shall  see  heaven  opened,  and  the 
angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending 
upon  the  Son  of  man.'  The  angels  as- 
cend and  descend  upon  Christ,  all  the 
ministry  of  angels  is  upon  Christ's  ac- 
count, and  you  are  preserved  and  protected 
in  the  time  of  a  plague  by  the  ministra- 
tion of  angels :  w^hat  then  ]  get  an  inter- 
est in  Christ,  and  if  you  doubt  of  your 
interest,  get  assurance,  do  not  let  that  flit 
now ;  now  get  an  interest  in  Christ,  now 
get  assurance. 

Thirdly,  go  to  God  to  make  good  this 
promise  ;  in  this  91st  Psalm,  if  you  do 
but  mind  it,  the  Lord  doth  not  only  pro- 
mise protection  and  deliverance  from  the 
plague  to  those  that  trust  in  him,  but  he 
promises  grace  to  trust  in  him ;  he  pro- 
mises protection  upon  condition  that  you 
trust  in  him,  and  he  promises  you  grace 
also  to  trust  in  him:  (saith  he)  at  the 


32 


5th  verse,  Art  thou  afraid,  and  canst  not 
trust  in  me  !  '  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid 
for  the  terror  by  night,  nor  for  the  arrow 
that  flieth  by  day  ;'  at  the  fourth  verse, 
'  He  shall  cover  thee  with  his  feathers, 
and  under  his  wings  shalt  thou  trust ; 
Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid,'  &c.  thou  shalt 
be  secure,  and  I  will  keep  thee  from  fear. 
The  Lord  that  hath  promised  protection 
in  the  time  of  a  plague,  hath  also  pro- 
mised freedom  from  fear,  and  grace  to 
trust  in  him  ;  therefore  go  to  God  for  this 
grace,  go  to  him  to  make  good  this  pro- 
mise. 

Then  again  fourthly,  consider  Mhat 
motives  ye  have  to  trust  in  God  in  the 
.time  of  a  plague  ;  you  will  say,  what  ar- 
guments or  motives  have  we  in  the  con- 
sideration whereof  we  may  be  moved  to 
trust  in  God  in  a  time  of  a  plague  1  there 
are  many  ;  give  me  leave  a  little,  that  we 
may  help  one  another's  faith  in  this  need- 
ful day. 

First  of  all,  though  the  destroyer  be 
abroad,  yet  there  is  a  man  with  his  pen 
and  ink-horn  by  his  side  also  abroad,  and 


33 


that  man  is  your  friend,  it  is  Christ :  as 
you  read  in  the  9th  of  Ezekiel,  there 
goes  a  man  out  with  a  pen  and  ink-horn  by 
his  side,  to  mark  those  that  sigh  and 
mourn,  and  cry  for  the  abominations  that 
are  done.  Now  to  this  man  Christ  is  a 
friend,  and  therefore  why  should  not  you 
believe  1  why  should  you  not  trust  in  the 
Lord? 

But  2dly,  if  that  the  Lord  do  know 
those  that  do  trust  in  him  in  the  time  of 
a  plague,  why  should  you  not  trust  in 
him  1  In  the  first  chapter  of  Nahum  you 
find  very  great  expressions  of  God's 
anger  and  indignation ;  it  is  said,  at  the 
second  verse,  '  God  is  jealous  and  the 
Lord  revengeth,  the  Lord  revengeth  and 
is  furious  ;  the  Lord  will  take  vengeance 
on  his  adversaries,  and  he  reserveth 
wrath  for  his  enemies,'  &c.  At  the  fifth 
verse,  '  The  mountains  quake  at  him, 
and  the  hills  melt,  and  the  earth  is  burnt 
at  his  presence,  yea,  the  world  and  all 
that  dwell  therein ;  who  can  stand  before 
his  indignation  ]  and  who  can  abide  in  the 
fierceness  of  his  anger  1  his  fury  is  pour- 
3 


34 


ed  out  like  fire,  and  the  rocks  are  thrown 
down  by  him :'  what  then  ?  (in  the  7th 
verse,)  '  The  Lord  is  good,  a  strong 
hold  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  he  know- 
eth  them  that  trust  in  him.  The  Lord 
when  he  is  angry  doth  distinguish  betw^ixt 
those  that  trust  in  him,  and  those  that  do 
not  trust  in  him.  If  a  man  be  angry  and 
in  fury,  he  strikes  any  that  comes  in  his 
way,  he  does  not  know  his  friends  from 
his  enemies ;  but  the  Lord  knows  them 
that  trust  in  him,  though  he  be  angry, 
and  in  fury,  and  in  indignation,  yet  he 
know^s  them  that  trust  in  him ;  and  there- 
fore why  should  ye  not  trust  in  the  Lord 
in  the  day  of  a  plague. 

3dly.  If  that  a  plague  and  pestilence 
do  make  room  for  God's  people,  why 
should  ye  not  trust  in  the  Lord  in  the 
time  of  a  plague  ?  what  think  you, 
should  be  the  meaning  of  that  which  we 
read  in  the  3d  of  Habalckuk  ?  '  before  him 
went  the  pestilence,  and  burning  coals 
went  forth  at  his  feet.'  When  was  this  ? 
it  was  when  God  led  his  people  into  -Ca- 
naan :  ^  God  came  from  Teman,  and  the 


35 


Holy  One  from  Mount  Paran.  (Selah.) 
His  glory  covered  the  heavens,  and  the 
earth  was  full  of  his  praise  ;  before  him 
went  the  pestilence,  and  burning  coals 
went  forth  at  his  feet.'  He  sent  the  pes- 
tilence among  the  Canaanites,  and  the 
Hittites,  and  the  Perizzites,  to  consume 
them  and  make  way  for  his  people.  God 
can  send  a  pestilence  into  a  city,  to  make 
room  for  his  people,  and  to  take  off  per- 
secution. You  see  you  have  Scripture 
for  it,  '  before  him  went  the  pestilence :' 
now  I  say,  if  God  by  a  pestilence  can, 
and  doth,  and  will  make  room  for  his  peo- 
ple, why  should  not  ye,  who  are  the  peo- 
ple of  God ;  trust  in  the  Lord  in  the  day 
of  a  plague. 

4thly.  If  there  be  mercy  with  the 
Lord  in  the  time  of  a  plague,  if  God  be 
ready  to  be  entreated,  and  to  receive 
atonement,  and  to  show  mercy  unto  his 
people,  why  then  should  not  you  trust  in 
the  Lord  in  the  time  of  a  plague  ?  Now 
I  pray  look  upon  the  story  of  David's 
time,  and  you  may  see  how  ready  God  was 
to  show  mercy  in  the  day  of  a  plague. 


36 


First  of  all,  upon  that  ground,  God  told 
David  where  the  temple  should  be  built, 
which  he  never  told  him  before  :  but  2dly, 
look  into  the  story,  and  you  shall  see  what 
abatement  there  is ;  how  God  threatened 
and  abates.  There  was  threatened  seven 
years  famine,  and  observe  two  abate- 
ments ;  1  Chron.  xxi.  12.  Gad  came  to 
David,  and  said,  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
choose  thee  either  three  years  famine. 
In  the  2d  Samuel  24,  it  is  seven  years 
famine  :  in  the  13th  verse,  '  Gad  came  to 
David  and  told  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
shall  seven  years  of  famine  come  unto 
thee  in  thy  land,  or  wilt  thou  flee  three 
months  before  thine  enemies  V  seven 
years  of  famine  says  one  place,  three 
years  of  famine  says  the  other :  why  1  be- 
cause God  abates.  Well,  but  there  is  a 
great  abatement  if  you  look  upon  the  busi- 
ness of  the  plague.  The  Lord  gave  David 
his  choice  ;  '  Shall  seven  years  of  famine 
come  unto  thee  in  thy  land,  or  wilt  thou 
fly  three  months  before  thine  enemies,  or 
that  there  be  three  days  pestilence  in  thy 
land  ]'     Well,  at  the  15th  verse,  2  Sam. 


37 


xxiv.  15.  *  So  the  Lord  sent  a  pestilence 
upon  Israel,  from  the  morning  even  to  the 
time  appointed.'  The  time  appointed, 
how  long  was  that  1  What,  three  days  1 
no,  there  was  abatement !  how  doth  that 
appear  1  So  the  Lord  sent  a  pestilence 
upon  Israel,  from  the  morning  even  to  the 
time  appointed ;  even  to  the  evening  sacri- 
fice, for  so  it  signifies.  But  how  do  you 
prove  that  it  did  not  last  three  days?  By 
two  reasons,  says  Peter  Martyr ;  one,  be- 
cause it  is  said,  '  The  Lord  repented  him 
of  the  evil ;'  and  another,  because,  says 
he,  at  the  i6th  verse,  '  When  the  angel 
stretched  out  his  hand  upon  Jerusalem  to 
destroy  it,  the  Lord  repented  him:'  Why 
if  the  three  days  had  been  at  an  end,  the 
angel  would  not  have  stretched  out  his 
hand  to  have  destroyed  Jerusalem  :  there- 
fore the  angel  still  putting  forth  his  hand 
to  destroy,  shows  that  the  three  days  were 
not  at  an  end  :  so  that  there  was  an  abate- 
ment. I  speak  it  to  show  God's  readiness 
to  abate,  and  to  show  mercy  in  the  time 
of  a  plague. 

Thirdly,  you  may  observe  here  in  this 


38 


story,  that  when  the  plague  came  to  Jeru- 
salem, which  was  the  most  populous  place, 
there  it  stayed  :  at  the  16th  verse,  '  And 
when  the  angel  stretched  out  his  hand 
over  Jerusalem  to  destroy  it,  the  Lord 
repented  him  of  the  evil.'  When  it  came 
to  the  most  populous  place,  where  it  was 
most  likely  to  be  infective,  there  it  stayed; 
see  the  readiness  of  God  to  show  mercy. 
But,  4thly,  you  may  observe,  if  you 
look  into  this  story,  that  the  Lord  repented 
him,  and  gave  command  for  the  staying 
of  the  pestilence  before  David  repented. 
I,  confess  there  is  somewhat  of  his  re- 
pentance before.  But  afterwards,  '  David 
said  unto  God  (1  Chron.  xxi.  17.)  is  it 
not  I  that  have  commanded  the  people 
to  be  numbered,  even  I  ;  it  is  I  that 
have  sinned  and  done  evil  indeed,  let 
thine  hand,  I  pray  thee,  O  Lord,  my  God, 
be  on  me  and  on  my  father's  house,  but 
not  on  this  people  that  they  should  be 
plagued.  David  lift  up  his  eyes  (in  the 
the  sixteenth  verse)  and  saw  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  stand  between  the  earth  and 
the  heaven,  having  a  drawn  sword  in  his 


39 


hand  stretched  out  over  against  Jerusa- 
lem.' And  then  follows  that  speech  of 
David.  But  if  you  look  before,  you  shall 
find  the  Lord  made  an  abatement  before 
this  speech  of  his,  before  this  humilia- 
tion of  his ;  the  Lord  showed  mercy,  and 
gave  him  his  choice  before,  in  the  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  16.  'And  when  the  angel  stretched 
out  his  hand  upon  Jerusalem  to  destroy 
it,  the  Lord  repented  him  of  the  evil,  and 
said  to  the  angel  that  destroyed  the  peo- 
ple, It  is  enough,  stay  now  thine  hand  ; 
and  the  angel  of  the  Lord  was  by  the 
threshing  floor  of  Araunah  the  Jebusite. 
And  David  spake  unto  the  Lord  when  he 
saw  the  angel  that  smote  the  people,  and 
said,  '  Lo,  I  have  said,  and  I  have  done 
wickedly ;  but  these  sheep  what  have  they 
done  1  Let  thine  hand  I  pray  thee,  be 
against  me  and  against  my  father's  house,' 
at  the  17th  verse ;  but  the  Lord  repented 
him,  at  the  16th  verse  ;  as  if  the  Lord  did 
prevent  David's  repentance  wdth  his  lov- 
ing kindness,  before  his  full  repentance 
came  out,  the  Lord  gave  commission  to 
stay  the  plague  ;  look  well  upon  this  sto- 


40 


ry,  and  you  may  see  how  ready  the  Lord 
is  to  show  mercy,  and  be  entreated  by 
his  people  in  the  time  of  a  plague. 

But,  5thly,  if  this  promise  in  the  ninety- 
first  psalm,  which  is  nothing  else  but  a 
promise  in  the  time  of  a  plague,  if  this 
promise  be  full,  and  certain,  and  solid,  as 
it  may  obviate  all  our  fears  and  objections; 
why  then  should  we  not  trust  in  the  Lord 
in  the  time  of  a  plague  1  Now  do  but 
mark  the  Psalm,  and  you  shall  see  the 
words  are  so  said,  as  may  obviate  all  your 
fears  and  objections. 

Will  you  say  the  destroying  angels  are 
now  abroad,  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty 
are  now  about  us,  says  he,  '  He  will  give 
his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee 
in  all  thy  ways  ;  they  shall  bear  thee  up 
in  their  hands,  lest  thou  dash  thy  foot 
against  a  stone.'  Will  you  say,  O,  but 
hundreds  fall  on  this  side  and  on  the  other 
side,  and  thousands  may  quickly ;  then, 
says  he,  '  Yet  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee: 
there  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither 
shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwelling.' 
Ver.  vii.  10. 


41 


Will  you  say,  O,  but  this  same  disease 
of  the  plague,  it  is  like  a  lion  and  an  ad- 
der, and  as  a  young  lion  and  dragon ;  yet, 
saith  he,  '  Thou  shalt  tread  upon  the  lion 
and  adder,  and  the  young  lion  and  the 
dragon  shalt  thou  trample  under  thy  feet,' 
in  the  thirteenth  verse. 

Will  you  say,  O,  but  suppose  the 
plague  should  come ;  all  my  friends  would 
leave  me,  I  shall  be  left  all  alone,  and 
what  shall  become  of  me  then"?  why, 
says  he,  at  the  fifteenth  verse,  '  He  shall 
call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him,  I 
will  be  with  him  in  trouble,'  spoken  in  re- 
gard of  the  plague  ;  I  am  of  Molerus's 
mind,  that  the  whole  Psalm  relates  to  the 
plague. 

Will  you  say,  O,  but  I  cannot  believe 
this ;  there  is  no  likelihood  that  I  should 
escape  in  a  general  plague :  mark  what 
he  says  in  the  last  verse  :  '  With  long  life 
will  I  satisfy  him,  and  show  him  my  sal- 
vation ;'  it  shall  be  my  salvation ;  thou 
shalt  not  be  saved  by  second  causes,  but 
it  shall  be  my  salvation ;  and  in  the  third 
verse,  saith  he,  '  Surely  he  shall  deliver 


42 


thee  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  from 
the  noisome  pestilence ;'  do  not  doubt  it, 
surely  he  shall  deliver  thee.  The  words 
of  this  Psalm  are  so  said  as  to  take  off 
and  to  obviate  all  our  objections  and  fears; 
therefore  why  should  we  not  trust  in  the 
Lord  in  the  time  of  a  plague  1 

But  you  will  say  then,  how  shall  this 
work  of  faith  and  trusting  in  the  Lord  be 
carried  on  ?  I  shall  say  no  more  in  it,  but 
only  two  or  three  things  from  this  Psalm. 
It  must  be  carried  on  with  love  to  God, 
knowledge  of  his  name,  and  prayer.  In 
the  fourteenth  verse,  '  Because  he  hath 
set  his  love  upon  me,  therefore  will  I  de- 
liver him.'  As  you  must  believe  and 
trust  in  God,  so  you  must  set  your  love 
on  God  ;  and,  says  he,  '  I  will  set  him  on 
high,  because  he  hath  known  my  name. 
He  shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer 
him.'  Here  are  three  things  ;  love  to 
God,  knowledge  of  his  name,  and  prayer; 
your  faith  and  trust  in  such  a  day  must 
go  along  with  these  three :  some  say,  they 
do  believe  and  trust  in  God,  but  they  do 
not  set  their  love  upon  God ;  some  say 


43 

they  love  him,  but  do  not  know  his  name, 
that  whereby  God  is  distinguished  and 
worshipped ;  some  say  they  know  God's 
name,  but  they  do  not  pray.  But  now  if 
you  would  carry  on  your  faith  and  trust 
in  the  Lord  as  you  ought  to  do,  your 
trusting  in  the  Lord  must  be  carried  on 
with  love  to  God,  knowledge  of  his  name, 
and  prayer. 

2dly.  Go  on  in  your  way,  Christians, 
do  not  start  out  of  your  way ;  '  He  shall 
give  his  angels  charge  over  thee  to  keep 
thee  in  all  thy  ways :'  in  all  thy  ways, 
the  ways  of  thy  calling :  take  heed  you 
be  not  found  out  of  your  way,  that  the 
plague  does  not  find  you  out  of  your  way 
look  that  you  do  not  start  out  of  your 
way. 

3dly.  And  so  to  end;  go  to  God,  and 
tell  the  Lord  tliut  you  do  trust  in  him, 
and  make  him  your  habitation  ;  '  He  that 
dwxdleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High,  shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of 
the  Almighty.  1  vidll  say  of  the  Lord, 
(in  the  Hebrew)  I  will  say  to  the  Lord, 
my  refuge,  my  fortress,  my  God,  in  him 


44 


will  I  trust.'  It  is  not  enough  to  trust 
in  the  Lord,  but  you  must  go  to  God  and 
tell  him  that  you  do  trust  in  him,  that 
you  make  him  your  habitation;  say. 
Lord,  I  make  thee  my  habitation,  I  trust 
in  thee,  thou  art  my  refuge,  and  my  fort- 
ress, in  thee  do  I  trust. 


45 


Psalm  xci.  11,  12. 


For  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to 
keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 

They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest  thou 
dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 


'  For  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge 
over  thee,'  &c.  Having  treated  of  this 
Psalm  already,  I  shall  not  spend  much 
time  in  showing  you  the  coherence  of 
these  words  with  the  former ;  you  see 
they  are  brought  in  with  a  for ;  '  For 
he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,' 
as  giving  an  account  and  reason  of  that 
which  was  said  before.  In  the  former 
part  of  the  Psalm,  you  read  of  the  Saints' 
protection  in,  and  their  deliverance  from, 
the  plague  and  pestilence  in  the  day  there- 
of. At  the  tenth  verse,  '  There  shall  no 
evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague 
come  nigh  thy  dwelling.'  Why  ?  '  For 
he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee, 


46 


to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways,'  &c.  So 
that  here  still  you  have  the  promise  of 
protection  in  the  time  of  the  plague  and 
pestilence ;  the  means  whereby  God  will 
protect  and  deliver.  The  condition  of 
this  promise  in  these  words,  '  Keep  thee 
in  all  thy  ways.'  So  that  though  the  dan- 
ger of  the  plague  and  pestilence  be  never 
so  great,  yet  if  we  be  found  in  our  ways, 
God's  angels  under  him  shall  be  our  pro- 
tection. '  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge 
over  thee,'  &c.  In  which  words,  you  may 
read  the  special  and  singular  care  and 
providence  of  God  over  his  people  in  the 
time  of  plague  and  pestilence  to  be  ma- 
naged by  the  hands  of  angels.  God  will 
take  special  order  with  the  angels  for  the 
safety  of  his  people  in  the  time  of  the 
plague  and  pestilence. 

For  the  clearing  of  which  argument, 
three  things  will  fall  under  our  consider- 
ation. First,  that  God  hath  singular  care 
and  providence  over  his  children.  2dly. 
That  this  care  and  providence  is  ma- 
naged by  the  hands  of  angels.  3dly.  That 
this,  and  ail  this,  is  and  shall  be  exerted 


47 


and  dra\^Ti  out  specially  in  the  time  of 
the  plague  and  pestilence. 

As  for  the  first,  it  is  so  full  and  clear 
in  the  words,  that  I  shall  need  go  no  fur- 
ther. He  doth  not  say  that  God  will  pro- 
vide for  his  people  in  the  general,  but 
there  is  a  singular  and  special  care  and 
providence  that  God  hath  for  his  people. 
For  if  you  mind  the  words  :  first,  he  says, 
*He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over 
thee.'  Charge,  charge  is  a  strict  com- 
mand, more  than  a  bare  command,  as 
when  you  would  have  a  servant  do  a  busi- 
ness certainly  and  fully,  you  lay  a  charge 
upon  him,  I  charge  you  that  you  do  not 
neglect  that  business ;  you  do  not  barely 
tell  him  what  he  should  do,  prescribe  him 
his  work  but  you  charge  him  to  do  it. 
So  says  the  Lord  unto  the  angels,  my 
servants  or  children,  now  they  are  in  the 
plague  and  pestilence,  O  my  angels  I 
charge  you  stir  r\pt  from  their  houses, 
I  charge  you  stir  not  from  such  a  one's 
bed-side ;  it  is  a  charge,  '  He  shall  give 
his  angels  charge.' 

2dly,  He  doth  not  only,  and  will  not 


48 


only  charge  his  angel,  but  his  angels  ; 
not  one  angel  charged  with  the  safety  of 
his  people,  but  many  angels,  for  their  bet- 
ter guard  and  securit)'^,  'He  shall  give 
his  angels  charge.' 

And,  3dly,  '  He  will  give  his  angels 
charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  ;'  to  keep 
thee :  charge  over  thee,  and  to  keep  thee 
not  only  over  the  whole  Church  of  God, 
but  over  every  particular  member  of  the 
Church  of  God ;  '  He  will  give  his  an- 
gels charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  :'  this 
is  his  marvellous  care. 

Well !  but  besides  this,  '  He  will  give 
his  angels  charge  to  keep  thee  in  all 
thy  ways ;'  not  in  some  of  thy  ways,  but 
in  all  thy  ways.  As  God's  providence  is 
particular  in  regard  of  our  persons,  so  it 
is  universal  in  regard  of  our  ways.  '  He 
will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to 
keep  thee,'  not  in  some,  but  '  in  all  thy 
wavs.' 

But  is  this  all  ]  No  ;  '  They  shall 
bear  thee  up  in  their  hands ;'  as  every 
servant  desires  and  loves  to  take  up  the 
young  heir,  or  the  young  master  into  his 


19 


arms,  so  the  angels.  It  is  a  great  matter, 
that  the  Lord  promiseth  to  pitch  his  tents, 
'  And  the  angels  of  the  Lord  shall  pitch 
their  tents  round  about  them  that  fear 
him :'  but  here  is  more ;  the  angels  shall 
not  only  pitch  their  tents,  be  their  guard  ; 
but  their  nurses,  to  bear  them  up  in  their 
hands  :  but  why?  '  That  thou  dash  not 
thy  foot  against  a  stone.'  When  children 
begin  to  go,  they  are  very  apt  to  fall,  and 
and  get  many  a  knock :  to  stumble  at 
every  little  stone.  Now  there  are  many 
stones  of  stumbling  that  are  in  our  way, 
and  we  are  very  apt  to  fall  and  miscarry  ; 
but  such  is  the  goodness  of  God,  the  pro- 
vidence of  God,  the  goodness  of  his  provi- 
dence, that  as  he  hath  provided  his  angels 
to  be  our  guard,  in  opposition  to  all  our 
foreign  enemies ;  so  he  hath  provided  his 
angels  to  be  our  nurses,  in  opposition  to 
all  our  weaknesses  and  infirmities,  that  we 
get  no  hurt,  that  we  miscarry  not  in  the 
least,  '  That  we  dash  not  our  foot  against 
a  stone.'  Oh  how  tender. is  the  Lord  of 
his!  In  other  Scriptures  you  know  tbr 
Lord  is  said  to  keep  his  people  as  the  ap- 
4 


50 


pie  of  his  eye  ;  what  is  a  man  more  tender 
of  than  the  apple  of  his  eye  1  and  when 
doth  the  Lord  keep  his  people  as  the  apple 
of  his  eye,  but  when  they  are  lowest,  and 
in  the  worst  condition  1  In  the  32d  of 
Deuteronomy,  ver.  10.  '  He  found  him 
in  a  desert  land,  and  in  the  waste  howling 
wilderness  :  he  led  him  about,  he  instruct- 
ed him,  he  kept  him  as  the  apple  of  his 
eye.'  When  they  came  out  of  Egypt, 
and  when  they  were  in  the  howling  wil- 
derness, the  Lord  did  keep  his  people  then 
as  the  apple  of  his  eye  ;  and  if  you  look 
into  the  2d  of  Zachary,  you  shall  find  he 
did  the  same  when  they  came  out  of  Ba- 
bylon, Zach.  ii.  ver.  6.  '  Ho,  ho,  come 
forth,  and  flee  from  the  land  of  the  North, 
deliver  thyself,  oh  Zion,  that  dwellest  with 
the  daughter  of  Babylon.'  There  were 
some  that  staid  still  behind ;  that  were  so 
wedded  to  their  houses  there,  that  they 
would  not  stir  out  of  Babylon,  some  of  the 
worst  of  them  ;  concerning  these  he  says, 
at  the  8th  verse  :  '  After  the  glory  hath  he 
sent  me  to  the  nations  which  spoiled  you ; 
for,  he  that  toucheth  you,  toucheth  the 


51 


apple  of  his  eye.'  Sinful,  poor,  unworthy 
people,  that  would  not  go  home  when  they 
might,  would  not  go  out  of  Bablyonwhen 
they  might ;  yet  how  tender  was  the  Lord 
of  them?  But  I  say  I  shall  need  go  no 
further  than  the  text :  the  Lord  hath  said 
it,  that  '  He  will  give  his  angels  charge 
over  you,  to  keep  you  in  all  your  ways, 
that  you  dash  not  your  foot  against  a 
stone.'  So  that  thus  then  you  see  the 
singular  care  and  providence  of  God  over 
his  serv^ants  and  children.  That  is  the 
First. 

But  then,  2dly,this  care  and  providence 
of  his  is  managed  by  the  hands  of  angels ; 
the  angels  are  the  people  that  are  especial- 
ly betrusted  wdth  this  protection  of  the 
saints.  Mistake  not ;  not  as  if  the  Lord 
himself  did  quit  his  hands  of  their  protec- 
tion ;  though  the  angels  should  be  our 
protectors,  yet  if  God  should  withdraw 
his  protection  and  presence,  we  could  not 
be  satisfied  with  the  protection  of  angels. 
Look  into  the  33d  of  Exodus,  and  you 
shall  see  there,  how  the  Lord  by  Moses 
tells  the  people  he  would  send  an  angel 


52 

before  them,  *  1  will  send  an  angel  before 
thee,  and  I  will  drive  out  the  Canaanite, 
the  Amorite,  and  the  Hittite,  and  the  Pe- 
rizzite,  the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite ;  unto 
a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  :  for 
I  will  not  go  up  in  the  midst  of  thee,  for 
thou  art  a  stiiT-necked  people :  lest  I  con- 
sume thee  in  the  way:'  what  then  1  '  and 
when  the  people  heard  these  evil  tidings 
they  mourned,  and  no  man  did  put  on  him 
his  ornaments ;'  when  they  heard  these 
evil  tidings :  what,  was  this  evil  tidings, 
that  their  enemies  should  all  be  driven 
out  before  them,  and  that  God  would 
honour  them  with  an  angel  to  go  before 
them  1  yes,  they  called  this  evil  tidings, 
because  they  had  not  the  Lord  himself  to 
go  before  them.  So  that  the  bare  presence 
of  angels  without  the  Lord  himself,  could 
not  satisfy  a  gracious  soul ;  still  therefore 
God  himself  is  our  great  protector  :  and 
therefore  the  angels  are  said  to  be  sent 
forth ;  are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits 
sent  forth  1  and  who  is  it  that  doth  send 
them  forth?  he  whose  they  are;  whose 
are  they  ]  they  are  called  in  the  first  of 


53 


the  Hebrews.  '  the  angels  of  God ;'  and 
the  text  says  they  are  his  angels,  His : 
indeed,  in  the  eighteenth  of  Matthew, 
they  are  called  the  saints'  angels,  '  Take 
heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these 
little  ones,  (10th  verse)  for  I  say  unto 
you,  that  in  heaven  their  angels,'  &c. 
their  angels,  and  yet  His  angels;  their's 
in  regard  of  profit,  for  they  are  sent  forth 
for  the  good  of  the  elect :  but  His  in  re- 
gard of  authority,  they  are  his  servants, 
his  ministers.  So  that  I  say  still,  though 
the  angels  have  the  management  of  this 
protection,  yet  God  is  the  protector  of  his 
people  :  but  yet  I  say,  though  God  be  our 
great  protector,  and  God  doth  not  quit  his 
hands  of  this  protection  ;  yet  he  hath  he- 
trusted  the  protection  of  the  saints  very 
much  in  the  hands  of  the  angels ;  and 
therefore  they  are  called  cherubims :  and 
wherefore  are  they  called  cherubims? 
Because  they  do  hide  and  protect.  Upon 
this  account  the  king  of  Tyrus  is  called 
a  cherub,  in  that  place  of  Ezekiel,  be- 
cause of  his  hiding  and  protecting  the 
people  that  were  under  him.     And  the 


54 


angels  have  wings,  not  only  for  their 
swiftness,  but  for  protection ;  the  wing 
being  for  protection,  as  well  as  to  fly  with. 
So  that  I  say,  though  God  be  the  great 
protector  of  his  people,  yet  that  protec- 
tion lies  much  on  the  hands  of  angels. 

But  what  need  God  make  use  of  angels 
to  protect  his  people  1  he  is  able  to  do  it 
alone ;  and  is  it  not  for  God's  dishonour 
to  make  use  of  them  for  the  protection 
of  his  people  ]  No,  it  is  for  the  honour  of 
God;  for  the  more  honourable  the  ser- 
vants are,  the  instruments  are  that  a  king 
or  prince  doth  use  for  the  protecting  of 
his  people,  the  more  honourable  is  that 
king  or  prince.  Now  the  angels  they 
are  honourable  creatures ;  frequently  they 
are  called  Gods :  '  thou  hast  made  him  a 
little  lower  than  the  angels,'  in  the  He- 
brew it  is  '  a  little  lower  than  the  Gods :' 
worship  him  all  ye  gods,  (in  the  Hebrew) 
all  ye  angels.  Well !  but  why  are  the 
angels  called  into  this  protection,  into 
this  nursery,  into  this  ministry]  God  hath 
several  creatures  that  he  can  use  to  pro- 
tect and  safe-guard  his  people  ;  why  are 


55 

the  angels  in  a  special  manner  called  into 
this  work  of  protection  of  the  saints "? 

They  are  the  fittest  people  in  the  world 
for  this  employment ;  fittest  in  regard  of 
themselves,  fittest  in  regard  of  the  saints. 
They  are  fittest  in  regard  of  themselves  ; 
for,  first,  they  are  an  exceeding  strong 
and  potent  people  :  who  are  more  fit  to 
look  to,  and  care  for  the  concernments  of 
the  saints  and  people  of  God,  than  those 
that  are  strong  and  potent  ?  It  is  said  of 
the  angels  in  the  103d  Psalm,  that  they 
excel  in  strength, ; '  Bless  the  Lord  ye  his 
angels  that  excel  in  strength,'  verse  20. 
They  are  called  powers  in  the  host  of 
God,  they  are  the  chariots  and  the  horse- 
men, in  Psalm  Ixviii.  17,  '  The  chariots 
of  God  are  twenty  thousand,  even  thou- 
sands of  angels ;'  thousands  of  angels  : 
they  are  the  chariots  and  the  horsemen 
in  the  host  of  God  :  other  foot-companies 
he  hath,  but  his  chariots  and  horsemen, 
they  are  the  angels.  One  angel  (you 
know)  destroyed  a  hundred  and  fourscore 
thousand  of  the  host  of  Assyria  in  a  night; 
as  one  constable  mil  scare  away  twenty 


56 


thieves,  so  one  good  angel,  invested  with 
God's  authority,  is  able  to  drive  away  a 
thousand  evil  angels,  devils :  they  are  an 
exceeding  strong  and  potent  people. 

2dly,  As  they  are  an  exceeding  strong 
and  potent  people ;  so  they  are  a  very 
knowing,  and  a  wise  people ;  and  who  so 
fit  to  manage  the  affairs  and  concerns  of 
the  saints,  and  people  of  God,  and  to  pro- 
tect and  defend  them,  as  a  knowing  and 
understanding  people  ]  Such  are  the  an- 
gels :  the  devils  indeed,  they  are  called 
knowing ;  but  the  angels,  good  angels, 
they  are  called  intelligencers  :  3'ou  know 
what  Joab  said  to  David ; '  Thou  art  for 
wisdom  as  an  angel  of  God,'  says  our 
Saviour,  '  no  man  knoweth  that  day  and 
time,  no  not  the  angels  in  heaven  ;'  as  if 
the  angels  in  heaven  knew  every  secret, 
and  were  acquainted  with  ever}'^  hidden 
thing,  they  are  an  e:^ceeding  knowing 
people,  very  prudent,  and  very  wise. 

3dly.  As  they  are  an  exceeding  know- 
ing, and  wise  people,  so  they  are  also  ex- 
ceeding active  and  expeditious,  quick  in 
dispatches,  who  more  fit  to  protect  and 


57 


defend  the  saints  and  people  of  God,  than 
those  that  are  active,  expedite  and  quick 
in  their  dispatches'?  such  are  the  angels. 
In  the  first  of  Ezekiel  ye  read,  that  every 
one  had  four  wings ;  uhy  1  because  of 
their  great  activity  and  expedition,  and 
the  quick  despatch  they  make  in  all  their 
affairs. 

Again :  as  they  are  an  active  and  ex- 
peditious people,  so  they  are  a  people 
very  faithful  both  to  God  and  man ;  in 
the  103  Psalm,  they  are  ready  to  do  God's 
vidll,  and  not  only  ready  to  fulfil  God's 
will,  but  they  do  it :  '  Bless  the  Lord  all 
ye  his  angels  that  excel  in  strength, 
(verse  20,)  that  do  his  commandments, 
hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  his  word. 
Bless  ye  the  Lord  all  ye  his  hosts,  ye 
ministers  of  his  that  do  his  pleasure :' 
they  are  very  faithful ;  and  who  so  fit 
to  do  this  work,  to  attend  and  look  to  the 
concernments  of  the  saints,  and  people 
of  God,  as  those  that  are  faithful. 

5thly.  As  they  are  an  exceeding  faith- 
ful people,  so  they  are  a  people  that  are 
very  loving  to  the  saints  and  children  of 


58 


God,  very  loving :  otherwise  they  were 
not  fit  to  be  their  nurses  :  what  is  a  nurse 
without  love  1  they  are  losing  to  the 
saints.  '  Do  it  not,  (said  the  angel  unto 
John)  I  am  thy  fellow-servant ;'  do  not 
give  divine  worship  to  me,  I  am  thy  fel- 
low-servant ;  fellow-servants  are  loving 
to  one  another  ;  they  are  fellow  servants 
with  the  saints.  Are  the  saints  and  peo- 
ple of  God  members  of  Christ,  and  is 
Christ  their  head  1  so  is  Christ  the  Lord 
of  angels ;  he  is  the  Lord  of  angels,  and 
they  follow  him.  In  Zachary  i.  8,  '  I 
saw  by  night,  and  behold  a  man  rid- 
ing upon  a  red  horse,  and  he  stood 
among  the  myrtle  trees  that  were  in  the 
bottom ;'  these  myrtle  trees  in  the  bot- 
tom, are  saints  in  a  low  condition :  '  And 
behold  a  man  riding  upon  a  red  horse,' 
this  is  C  hrist ;  '  and  he  stood  among  the 
myrtle  trees  that  were  in  the  bottom; 
and  behind  him  there  were  red  horses, 
speckled,  and  white ;'  behind  him :  mark 
who  are  those  red  horses,  speckled,  and 
white,  (in  the  ninth  verse)  'Then  said  I, 
oh  my   Lord,  what  are  these  1  and  the 


59 


angel  that  talked  with  me  said  unto  me, 
I  will  show  thee  what  these  be,  and  the 
man  that  stood  among  the  myrtle  trees, 
answered  and  said,  these  are  they, 
whom  the  Lord  hath  sent  to  walk  to  and 
fro  through  the  earth.'  These  are  the 
angels  that  stand  behind  Christ,  they 
are  the  followers  of  Christ ;  they  are  his 
followers :  the  more  union  there  is  be- 
twixt persons,  the  more  they  love :  and 
as  the  union  is,  such  is  the  love.  If 
there  be  a  natural  union  betwixt  persons, 
their  love  will  be  natural ;  if  their  union 
be  civil,  political,  their  love  will  be  po- 
litical, civil;  if  the  union  be  spiritual, 
ecclesiastical,  the  love  is  spiritual,  eccle- 
astical,  more  than  natural ;  Now  the 
union  that  is  betwixt  the  angels  and  the 
saints,  it  is  a  church-union.  'Ye  are 
come,'  says  the  apostle  in  Heb.  xii.  22, 
'  unto  Mount  Sion,  and  unto  the  city  of 
the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem, 
and  to  an  innumerable  company  of  an- 
gels, to  the  general  assembly  and  church 
of  the  first  born :  so  that  they  are  of  the 
same  church,  the  general  assembly  and 


60 


they  must  needs  be  an  exceeding  loving 
people  to  the  saints  and  people  of  God, 
and  therefore  a  people  fit  for  this  em- 
ployment, of  all  other  the  fittest  for  this 
employment,  to  be  employed  under  God 
for  the  protection  of  the  saints,  fittest  in 
regard  of  themselves. 

But  then  again,  2dly.  Fittest  they  are 
for  this  employment  in  regard  of  the 
saints  :  for  who  more  fit  to  be  employed 
in  this  protection  under  God,  the  protec- 
tion of  the  saints,  than  those  that  are  in 
some  respect  above  the  saints,  and  in 
some  respect  beneath  them :  if  a  nurse 
be  above  the  child,  she  may  despise  it ; 
if  the  child  be  altogether  above  the  nurse, 
the  nurse  cannot  rule  it.  Now  the  an- 
gels they  are  in  some  respect  beneath, 
and  in  some  respect  above  the  saints; 
they  are  above  the  saints  in  regard  of 
their  nature,  as  you  all  know  ;  but  in 
some  respects  they  are  beneath  the  saints, 
and  below  the  saints :  for  the  second  per- 
son did  not  come  into  their  nature,  as  he 
did   into   the  nature    of  the   saints;  he 


6i 


took  not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels,  but 
he  took  on  him  the  seed  of  Abraham  : 
and  in  that  respect  the  saints  are  above 
them :  and  the  saints  are  clothed  with 
the  righteousness  of  Christ;  such  a  gar- 
ment as  never  came  upon  the  back  of 
an  angel,  herein  the  saints  are  above  the 
angels :  id  the  saints  and  people  of  God, 
they  are  members  of  Christ,  and  therein 
above  the  angels ;  Christ  is  the  Lord  of 
angels,  but  you  don't  read  that  the  an- 
gels are  the  members  of  Christ.  So 
that  1  say,  in  some  respect  the  angels  are 
beneath  the  saints,  and  in  some  respect 
above  them ;  and  so  the  more  fit  for  this 
employment.  Ye  see  how  it  is  with  a 
mean  man  that  sits  at  dinner  at  a  noble- 
man's table ;  he  sits  down  at  the  table  with 
the  nobleman,  and  the  servants  of  the  no- 
bleman, they  attend  upon  him  ;  may  be 
the  servants  are  better  men  than  he,  but 
because  he  sits  down  at  the  nobleman's 
table,  these  servants  attend  upon  him,  as 
upon  their  master,  Now  the  saints  and 
people  of  God  are  members  of  Christ, 
thev  have  communion  with  Christ,  and 


62 


sit  down  at  his  table  ;  and  therefore  his 
followers  the  angels,  they  attend  upon  the 
saints  and  people  of  God  ;  and  thus  now 
ye  see  why  the  angels  are  in  a  special 
manner  called  to  this  work  of  protection 
of  the  saints  and  people  of  God. 

Well,  but  then  3dly,  why  are  the  angels 
called  to  this  work  of  protection  of  the 
saints,  especially  in  the  time  of  plague 
and  pestilence  1  why  doth  the  Lord  give 
a  special  charge  to  his  angels,  to  have  a 
special  care  of  his  people  in  the  time  of 
the  plague  and  pestilence,  why  at  that 
time  especially  1 

First  of  all,  that  time  is  a  time  of  the 
greatest  danger ;  when  should  the  nurse 
look  unto  the  child,  if  not  in  the  greatest 
danger  ]  now  in  the  time  of  the  greatest 
danger,  then  come  the  angels  to  the  suc- 
cour of  God's  people.  In  the  32d  chapter 
of  Genesis  w^e  read  of  the  angels  meeting 
of  Jacob,  (at  the  first  verse,)  '  Jacob  went 
on  his  way,  and  the  angels  of  God  met 
him ;  and  w^hen  Jacob  saw  them,  he  said, 
this  is  God's  host ;'  they  met  him  then  : 
why  then  ?  he  had  a  vision  when  he  went 


63 


out  from  his  country,  a  promise  in  the 
way  of  a  vision,  the  angels  ascending  and 
descending,  and  now  he  had  the  promise 
accomplished  upon  his  return ;  why  then  1 
then  he  was  in  the  greatest  danger,  he 
was  betwixt  Laban  and  Esau ;  and  though 
he  had  passed  the  pikes  of  Laban ;  yet 
now  he  was  to  meet  an  old  provoked  ene- 
my, a  wicked  man,  Esau  ;  insomuch  that 
he  was  grievously  afraid,  and  he  prayed, 
*  Lord  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  my 
brother ;'  well,  and  what  then  ]  then  come 
the  angels;  then  comes  this  great  dan- 
ger, and  then  come  the  angels,  '  and  he 
called  the  name  of  the  place  Mahanaim ;' 
it  is  the  same  expression  that  is  used  in 
the  sixth  chapter  of  Canticles  concerning 
the  Jews  returning  unto  their  own  coun- 
try, at  the  thirteenth  verse,  '  Return,  re- 
turn, oh  Shulamite  return,  return,  that  we 
may  look  upon  thee  :'  w'hat  will  ye  see  in 
the  Shulamite  ?  (in  the  Jews  returning) 
as  it  were  the  company  of  Mahanaims, 
Mahanaims;  two  annies  you  read  it,  but  it 
is  the  same  word :  wdiy  1  possibly  to  show 
that  God  will  send  a  host  of  angels  to 


64 


guard  the  Jews  into  their  country,  as  he 
sent  a  host  of  angels  to  guard  their  father 
Jacob  into  his  country.  But  I  bring  this 
to  show  that  v;hen  the  saints  and  peoule 
of  God  are  in  greatest  danger,  then  come 
the  angels  to  succour  them.  Now  the 
time  of  sickness,  and  of  the  plague  is  a 
time  of  great  danger. 

2dly.  Look  when  all  visible  means  and 
helps  fail,  then  is  a  fit  time  for  invisible 
help  to  come  in.  Now  the  help  of  the  an- 
gel is  invisible,  his  hands  are  under  his 
wings ;  you  cannot  see  his  help :  when 
all  visible  means  and  helps  fail,  then 
comes  God's  invisible  help,  then  come  the 
angels,  a  fit  time  for  the  angels. 

But  3dly.  Look  when  the  destroying 
angel  is  abroad,  then  is  a  fit  time  for  the 
protecting  angel  to  step  in,  and  be  at 
work.  Now  in  the  time  of  the  plague  and 
pestilence,  the  destroying  angel  is  abroad ; 
only  here  then  this  question  doth  arise, 
whether  the  destroying  angel,  and  the 
protecting  angel  differ  1  whether  they  be 
divers,  or  the  same  1  I  shall  resolve  it 
in  two  or  three  positions. 


65 


First,  although  the  same  angel  may 
destroy,  and  spare ;  as  in  David's  time : 
yet  the  destroying  angel,  and  the  protect- 
ing angel  seem  to  be  divers ;  in  the  se- 
venth of  Revelation,  four  angels  came 
out  to  hurt,  and  another  angel  came  out 
to  save  :  in  the  ninth  of  Ezekiel,  six  men 
came  out  with  their  slaughter-weapons 
in  their  hands,  and  another  came  out  to 
mark. 

The  second  position  is  this ;  as  the  de- 
stroying and  protecting  angel  may  seem 
to  be  divers,  so  God  doth  sometimes  em- 
ploy an  evil  angel  to  afflict  and  destroy 
good  men,  and  doth  sometimes  employ  a 
good  angel  to  afflict  and  destroy  bad  men  \ 
sometimes  God  doth  employ  a  good  angel 
to  afflict  and  destroy  wicked  men,  as  in 
the  case  of  Sodom,  they  w^ere  good  angels 
that  destroyed  Sodom  ;  sometimes  on  the 
other  side,  God  doth  employ  evil  angels 
to  afflict  (and  shall  I  use  the  word  destroy) 
good  men:  the  devil  wasted  Job,  and 
killed  his  children. 

But,  3dly.  Though  the  angels  may  be 
thus  employed,  the  destroyer,  and  the 
5 


66 

protector;  yet  this  is  certain,  that  all 
protection  of  the  saints  falls  into  the  hands 
and  the  lap  of  the  good  angels,  '  for  he 
shall  give  his  angols  cliarge  over  thee  ;' 
his,  why  his  1  in  distinction  from  the  de- 
vils, and  evil  angels,  that  did  not  stay  by 
him,  but  left  him  in  the  time  of  their  apos- 
taey :  and  '  they  shall  bear  thee  in  their 
arms;'  devils  do  not  bear  the  saints  in  their 
arms,  therefore  the  business  of  the  saints' 
protection,  this  falls  wholly  upon  the  good 
angels  to  do  ;  but  look  I  say  when  the 
destroying  angel  is  abroad,  then  is  a  fit 
time  for  the  protecting  angel  to  be  abroad 
too.  Now  in  the  time  of  the  plague  and 
pestilence,  the  destroying  angel  is  abroad ; 
therefore  then  especially  is  the  good  angel 
to  be  at  work  for  the  protection  of  the 
saints. 

4thly.  The  time  of  the  plague,  is  a 
time  when  the  saints  and  people  of  God 
may  want  outward  provision,  good  people 
may  be  shut  up  and  starved  for  want  of 
victuals,  in  the  time  of  the  plague ;  now 
it  is  the  work  of  the  good  angels  to  pro- 
vide meat  and  victuals  for  the  people  of 


H7 


iiod,  sometimes.  In  1  Kings  xix.  5,  it 
is  said  of  Elijah,  that  '  as  he  lay  and  slept 
under  a  juniper  tree,  an  angel  touched 
him,  and  said  unto  him,  '  Arise,  and  eat, 
and  he  looked,  and  behold  there  was  a 
cake  baked  on  the  coals,  and  a  cruse  of 
water  at  his  head  ;  and  he  did  eat  and 
drink,  and  laid  him  down  again.  And 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  again  the  se- 
cond time,  and  touched  him,  and  said, 
arise  and  eat,  because  the  journey  is  too 
great  for  thee,'  Slc. 

Sthly.  The  time  of  the  plague  and  pes- 
tilence, as  it  is  a  time  of  want,  want  of 
provision  ;  so  it  is  a  time  when  many  of 
God's  people  are  put  to  go  for  it,  to  fly  for 
it,  to  run  for  it,  to  seek  abroad  for  their 
houses  and  habitations,  do  not  know  which 
way  to  go ;  it  is  the  work  of  a  good  angel 
to  go  before  them,  to  order  and  direct 
their  way.  In  Genesis  xxiv.  7,  says 
Abraham  to  his  servant,  '  He  shall  send 
his  angel  before  thee  ;'  it  is  the  work  of  a 
good  angel  to  order  and  direct,  and  guide 
the  people  of  God  in  their  way. 

Lastly.  The  time  of  the  plague  and 


68 


pestilence  is  a  time  when  people  need 
physicians  and  surgeons,  surgeons  and 
physicians  against  their  malady  ;  a  good 
angel  can  do  this,  and  sometimes  doth  it : 
in  John  v.  4,  '  For  an  angel  went  down 
at  a  certain  season  into  the  pool  and  trou- 
bled the  water,  whosoever  then  first  after 
the  troubling  of  the  water  stepped  in,  was 
made  whole  of  whatsoever  disease  he 
had ;'  this  is  the  work  of  an  angel,  to 
prepare  a  medicine ;  this  is  the  work  of 
an  angel. 

Aye,  but  you  will  say,  all  these  in- 
stances are  extraordinary ;  what  is  this  to 
to  me  in  this  time  of  the  plague  and  sick- 
ness, what  is  this  to  me  1  these  are  extra- 
ordinary things  :  does  their  ministry  still 
continue,  or  no  1 

Mark;  yes  certainly :  the  Lord  of  hosts 
is  with  us,  the  God  of  Jacob  is  our  re- 
fuge :  and  how  God  was  the  God  of  Ja- 
cob and  how  his  refuge,  ye  heard  even 
now  :  in  Hebrews  i.  7,  it  is  said,  '  And  of 
the  angels  he  saith,  who  maketh  his  an- 
gels spirits,  and  his  ministers  a  flame  of 
fire  ;  who  maketh,'  in  the  present  tense ; 


69 


as  if  it  were  always  doing,  not  '  who  hath 
made,'  but  '  who  maketh  ;  who  maketh  his 
angels  spirits,  and  his  ministers  a  flame  of 
fire  ;'  it  is  the  present  tense,  it  is  con- 
tinually doing ;  and  if  you  look  into  the 
Old  Testament,  and  compare  the  che- 
rubims  that  were  in  the  tabernacle,  with 
the  cherubims  that  were  in  the  temple, 
you  shall  find  that  the  cherubims  that 
were  in  the  tabernacle  were  but  two,  and 
the  cherubims  that  were  in  the  temple 
were  four ;  why  1  but  to  show  that  their 
protection  shall  rather  be  enlarged  than 
lessened ;  in  the  first  chapter  of  John, 
says  our  Saviour  Christ  there  to  Na- 
thaniel, (last  verse)  '  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  that  hereafter  ye  shall  see  hea- 
ven opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascend- 
ing and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  man; 
hereafter,'  this  is  a  Gospel  truth,  and  the 
more  you  know  and  see  the  mystery  of 
the  Gospel  revealed,  the  more  will  this 
mystery  be  revealed  to  you;  'hereafter 
ye  shall  see  heaven  open,  and  the  angels 
of  God  ascending,'  &c.  hereafter  in  Gos- 
pel times ;  and  pray  mark  the  words  of 


70 


the  text,  '  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge 
over  thee  ;'  over  thee  ;  say  you,  I  confess 
this  is  a  comfortable  truth,  the  protection 
of  angels  in  the  time  of  the  plague  and 
pestilence  especially,  but  what  is  this  to 
me  1  yes,  (says  he)  '  He  shall  give  his 
angels  charge  over  thee,'  over  thee.  Now 
pray  tell  me  when  you  read  the  Com- 
mandments, '  Thou  shalt  not  steal,  thou 
shalt  not  commit  adulteiy,  thou  shalt  do 
no  murder ;'  do  ye  think  that  the  '  thou' 
there  doth  belong  to  you  ?  yes ;  I  dare 
not  steal,  I  dare  not  do  any  murder,  I  dare 
not  commit  adultery ;  for  it  is  said, '  Thou 
shalt  not  murder,  thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery,  thou  shalt  not  steal,'  and  this 
'  thou'  belongs  to  me;  and  why  should  not 
the  thee  of  the  promise  belong  to  you,  as 
well  as  the  thou  of  the  commandment  ] 
Oh  that  those  that  are  afflicted  and  trou- 
bled in  conscience  would  think  but  of  this 
one  thing.  If  thou  concernest  thyself  in 
the  thou  of  the  commandment,  thou  art 
concerned  in  the  thee  of  the  promise ;  the 
thee  of  the  promise  concerns  thee  as  cer- 
tainly as  the  thou  of  the  commandment : 


71 

and  thus  now  ye  see  I  have  gone  througli 
the  doctrine.  The  Lord  hath  a  singular 
care  and  providence  over  his  people, 
especially  in  the  time  of  the  plague  and 
pestilence,  which  is  managed  by  the 
hands  of  angels.  God  will  take  special 
order  with  the  angels  for  the  safety  of  his 
people  in  the  time  of  the  plague  and  pes- 
tilence. 

Now  I  come  to  the  application. 

If  these  things  be  so  ;  first,  great  is  the 
dignity  of  the  saints,  of  the  saints  here 
on  earth,  though  never  so  much  despised 
by  the  world :  they  are  attended  with 
angels,  they  have  angels  for  their  attend- 
ants ;  is  it  not  an  honour  to  have  such  at- 
tendants as  these  ]  The  great  ones  of 
the  earth  think  it  an  honour  to  have  a 
company  of  glittering  fellows  attending 
upon  them,  and  following  them  in  reds 
and  ribbands,  and  gold  and  silver  laces. 
Oh  the  beggarly  attendants  of  this  earth, 
unto  the  attendants  the  saints  have,  glo- 
rious angels  attend  them ;  it  was  much 
that  Paul  spake  :  '  All  things  are  yours, 
whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,'  all 


72 


are  yours:  Paul's  or  Apollos's  or  Cephas's : 
why  what  were  they  ?  they  were  minis- 
ters, and  ministers  are  called  angels,  an- 
gels of  the  churches ;  hut  not  only  these 
angels  are  the  saints'  attendants,  but  hea- 
venly angels  are  the  saints'  attendants ; 
ah,  what  dignity,  what  honour  is  here  1 
who  dare  despise  any  of  the  saints  or 
people  of  God,  although  they  be  never  so 
mean  ]  you  see  what  our  Saviour  saith, 
Matt,  xviii.  10,  'Take  heed  that  you  de- 
spise not  one  of  these  little  ones  ;  for  I 
say  unto  you,  that  in  heaven  their  an- 
gels do  always  behold  the  face  of  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven ;'  that  is  the 
first. 

2dly.  If  these  things  be  so,  why  then 
surely  the  highest  enjoyment,  and  the 
meanest  employment  commanded,  may 
and  can  stand  together :  what  meaner 
employment  than  to  attend  upon  a  man 
that  hath  a  plague  sore  running  upon 
him !  this  the  angels  are  to  do,  and  they 
have  the  highest  enjojonent  at  the  same 
time ;  says  he  after,  '  they  always  be- 
hold the  face  of  my  Father.'     So  that 


73 


then  our  highest  enjoyments,  and  mean- 
est employment  commanded,  may  and 
can  stand  together ;  it  may  be  you  say, 
I  won't  go  to  my  calhng,  it  is  a  poor  and 
mean  calling,  I  shall  not  enjoy  God  in  it ; 
aye,  but  know  this,  you  may  enjoy  God 
in  the  lowest  employment:  the  highest 
enjoyment  and  the  meanest  employment 
commanded,  may  and  can  stand  toge- 
ther ;  that  is  the  second. 

3dly.  If  these  things  be  so,  great  is 
the  saint's  security,  great  is  the  saint's 
safety ;  are  they  not  in  safe  hands,  that 
are  in  the  hands  of  angels  1  not  of  one 
angel,  but  many  angels,  if  this  be  not 
enough  ;  why  the  angels  bear  them  up  in 
their  arms:  if  this  be  not  enough,  God 
himself  carries  them  in  his  arms,  as  in 
the  days  of  old ;  God's  eye  is  upon  them, 
his  ear  is  open  to  their  cry :  Christ's  left 
hand  is  under  their  head,  and  his  right 
hand  doth  embrace  them,  all  the  angels 
attending  upon  them ;  oh  the  safety  and 
security  of  the  saints  and  people  of  God, 
even  in  the  worst  of  times,  in  the  time 
of  the  plague  and  pestilence. 


74 


4thly.  If  these  things  be  so :  how  good 
and  gracious  is  the  Lord  unto  you,  you 
that  are  the  saints  and  people  of  God  ] 
how  good  and  gracious  is  the  Lord  to 
you  ?  no  sooner  had  David  said,  Psalm 
xxxiv.  7.  '  The  angel  of  the  Lord  en- 
campeth  round  about  them  that  fear  him, 
and  delivereth  them :'  but  the  next  words 
he  subjoins,  '  Oh  taste  and  see  that  the 
Lord  is  good.'  Aye,  here  you  may  taste 
and  see  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  indeed, 
in  the  ministration  of  angels;  that  the 
angels  nurse  you,  and  carry  you  up  and 
down  in  their  arms :  the  more  you  look 
into  this,  the  more  you  will  see  how  good 
and  gracious  the  Lord  is.  Li  the  eighth 
Psalm,  when  David  had  considered  the 
creatures  round,  '  Lord  (says  he)  what 
is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  and 
the  son  of  man  that  thou  visitest  him ; 
for  thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels,'  for  a  time  :  '  all  sheep 
and  oxen,  and  all  creatures  thou  hast  put 
under  his  feet :'  he  begins  the  Psalm  thus, 
'  Oh  Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy 
name  in  all  the  earth ;'  and  because  his 


heart  was  full  of  the  sense  of  God's  love, 
he  ends  the  Psalm  with  the  same  words, 
'  Oh  Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy 
name  in  all  the  earth  !'  nye,  this  is  a  tak- 
ing thing  indeed ;  here  you  may  see  how 
gracious  and  good  the  Lord  is  to  you. 

5thly.  If  these  things  be  so ;  how  in- 
finitely are  we  all  beholden  unto  Jesus 
Christ,  upon  \vhose  account  it  is  that  the 
angels  are  your  attendants  in  this  time  of 
the  plague  and  sickness ;  he  is  the  lad- 
der that  Jacob  saw  :  Christ  explains  that 
ladder  himself:  'You  shall  see  heaven 
open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  upon  the  son  of  man  :'  it 
is  upon  Christ's  account,  all  the  ministry 
of  angels  is  upon  Christ's  account ;  here 
you  have  more  than  Adam  had  in  the 
state  of  innocency ;  when  Adam  fell,  then 
you  read  indeed  of  the  cherubims  set  to 
keep  the  tree  of  life,  to  keep  Paradise  ; 
but  you  do  not  read  that  before  the  fall  he 
had  the  angels  to  minister  to  him ;  but 
now  in  and  by  Jesus  Christ,  we  have  the 
ministration  of  angels,  we  are  reconciled 
unto  all  the  angels,  and  not  only  so,  but 


76 


they  are  brought  in  to  be  our  attendants. 
Oh  blessed  be  God  for  Christ!  why- 
should  we  not  say,  '  I  love  thee  dearly,  O 
Lord  my  Saviour,  by  whom  I  am  made 
partaker  of  this  infinite  privilege  of  the 
ministration  of  angels. 

6thly.  If  these  things  be  so ;  what  a 
mighty  difference  is  there  betwixt  the 
godly  and  the  wicked,  even  in  the  time 
of  the  plague.  Your  great  desire  in  this 
sickness  time,  is  that  God  would  make  a 
difference  betwixt  the  one  and  the  other  ; 
whatever  outward  difference  there  is ;  I 
am  sure  there  is  this  difference,  the  saints 
and  people  of  God  have  the  angels  to  at- 
tend upon  them,  but  the  wicked  have  not. 
The  corn  and  the  weeds  are  cut  down  by 
the  same  scythe,  one  stroke  cuts  them 
both  down,  but  the  corn  and  the  weeds 
are  differenced.  Two  men,  a  godly  man 
and  a  wicked  man,  lay  sick  of  the  plague 
at  the  same  time  :  the  wicked  man  hath 
little  or  no  attendance  when  his  friends 
leave  him,  it  may  be  he  hath  nobody  to 
attend  him,  except  it  be  a  halberdier  at 
the  door;  no  angels  to  attend  him :  but 


77 


the  good  man,  when  all  his  friends  are 
gone,  then  come  the  angels  and  comfort 
him,  and  attend  upon  him :  and  he  may- 
comfort  himself,  and  say,  though  my 
friends  have  left  me,  yet  here  are  the 
Lord's  angels  to  look  to  me  and  comfort 
me.  What  a  mighty  difference  is  there 
betwixt  the  one  and  the  other  1  0  who 
would  not  be  godly?  who  would  not  get 
into  Christ  upon  this  very  account  1 

Ttlily.  If  these  things  be  so;  why 
then,  why  should  we  not  trust  in  the  Lord 
in  this  day  of  great  mortality,  this  sickly 
time,  this  time  of  the  plague  and  pesti- 
lence 1  What,  shall  the  angels  be  your 
attendants,  (now  especially)  and  won't 
you  trust  in  God  1  what,  have  you  such 
a  promise  as  this  is,  and  will  not  you  trust 
in  the  Lord  ]  shall  the  Lord  himself  be 
your  protector,  and  charge  his  angels  with 
you  for  such  a  time  as  this,  and  will  you 
not  trust  in  the  Lord  1  It  is  recorded  of 
Alexander,  that  being  in  great  danger, 
and  to  fight  the  next  day  with  his  ene- 
mies, he  slept  very  soundly  the  night  be- 
fore,  and   he   being  asked    the   reason 


thereof,  said,  Pamnenio  wakes,  meaning  a 
great  and  faithful  captain  of  his,  Parme- 
nio  wakes,  sa3's  he.  The  angels  are 
called  watchmen;  they  watch  and  are 
faithful,  therefore  you  may  be  secure, 
quiet  and  at  rest ;  trust  in  the  Lord  for 
ever  upon  this  account,  in  this  day  trust 
in  the  Lord. 

8thly,  If  these  things  be  so;  then 
(friends)  why  should  we  not  stoop  to  an)?" 
work  commanded,  though  it  lie  much  be- 
neath us  1  Don't  you  think  that  the  at- 
tending upon  a  sick  man,  a  man  that  hath 
a  plaorue-sore  running  upon  him,  is  a 
work  that  lies  much  beneath  angels  ?  yet 
the  angels  do  it  because  it  is  commanded 
though  much  beneath  them,  yet  they 
stoop  to  it  because  it  is  commanded  :  and 
what  though  a  work  lie  much  beneath 
you,  yet  if  it  be  commanded,  why  should 
you  not  stoop  to  it  1  You  will  say,  such  an 
one  is  much  beneath  me,  I  won't  lay  my 
hand  under  his  shoes,  he  is  much  beneath 
me ;  ah,  but  the  angels  lay  their  hands 
under  your  shoes,  and  the  work  they  do 
for  you  is   much  beneath   them;   why 


?f 


should  we  not  be  like  our  attendants :  this 
is  angelical  obedience  ;  the  angels  do  you 
many  a  kindness,  and  never  look  for 
thanks  from  you,  they  do  you  many  a 
kindness  that  you  are  not  aware  of:  why 
are  you  delivered,  sometimes  you  know 
not  how  ]  there  is  a  hand  under  a  wing, 
the  ministration  of  angels  is  the  cause  of 
it.  But  I  say,  the  work  they  stoop  to 
for  you  is  much  beneath  them,  and  there- 
fore why  should  we  not  stoop  to  any 
work  commanded,  though  it  lie  much  be- 
neath us. 

9thly.  Tf  these  things  be  so  ;  (friends) 
what  manner  of  men  and  women  ought 
we  to  be  in  all  holy  conversation  ?  what 
your  attendants  so  holy,  and  you  unholy  1 
let  the  women  be  covered,  because  of  the 
angels  says  the  apostle  :  so  say  I,  let  us 
walk  holily  because  of  the  angels,  they 
are  always  about  us :  if  you  be  in  compa- 
ny with  a  grave  man,  you  won't  giggle, 
nor  be  so  frothy  as  with  others :  if  a  man 
have  a  servant  attending  upon  him  that  is 
grave  and  sober,  he  won't  be  frothy  and 
vain ;  behold  what  grave  and  holy  at- 


80 

tendants  there  are  about  you ;  and  will 
you  giggle,  and  be  frothy  and  vain  1  Oh 
what  manner  of  men  and  women  ought 
we  to  be  in  all  holy  conversation  ? 

But  tenthly  and  lastly,  to  conclude  :  if 
these  things  be  so,  why  should  we  not 
always  be  found  in  that  way,  whereby  we 
may  come  within  the  compass  of  this  pro- 
tection :  in  the  thirty-fourth  Psalm,  it  is 
put  upon  fearing  God,  '  They  shall  pitch 
their  tents  round  about  them  that  fear 
hun  ;'  in  this  Psalm  it  is  put  most  upon 
trusting  in  God.  In  this  ninety-first 
Psalm,  in  this  verse,  it  is  put  upon  (this 
protection  of  angels  is  put  upon)  being  in 
our  way ;  '  They  shall  bear  you  up  in 
their  hands.  He  shall  give  his  angels 
charge  over  thee,  to  keep  you  in  all  your 
ways,'  in  all  your  ways ;  your  w^ays ;  your 
ways  are  God's  ways,  your  way  is  the 
way  commanded  by  God ;  if  you  be  out 
of  God's  way,  you  are  out  of  your  own 
way ;  if  you  be  in  your  way,  the  an- 
gels shall  keep  you  even  in  the  time  of 
a  plague,  and  bear  you  up  in  their  hands, 
that  you   dash  not  your  foot  against  a 


81 


stone ;  but  if  you  be  out  of  your  way,  I 
won't  insure  you  of  safety.  When  Ba- 
laam went  upon  the  devil's  errand,  an 
angel  met  him  and  scared  his  ass,  and  the 
ass  run  his  foot  against  the  wall,  dashed 
his  foot  against  th%  wall ;  the  promise  is, 
thou  shalt  not  dash  thy  foot  against  a 
stone  ;  but  he  was  out  of  his  way,  and  the 
angel  met  him  and  scared  his  ass,  and  his 
ass  made  him  rush  his  leg  against  the 
wall.  Jonah  went  out  of  his  way,  when 
he  ran  away  from  God ;  God  bade  him 
go  one  way,  and  he  went  another  ;  well, 
what  then  1  were  the  angels  with  him  for 
his  protection  1  the  very  sea  would  not  be 
quiet  till  he  was  thrown  overboard;  in- 
stead of  angels  to  protect  him,  he  had  a 
whale  to  devour  him.  I  confess  indeed, 
through  the  free  grace  and  mercy  of  God, 
the  belly  of  destruction  was  made  a  cham- 
ber of  preservation  to  him,  but  he  was  out 
of  his  way ;  and  instead  of  an  angel  to 
keep  him  tiiat  he  dash  not  his  foot,  his 
whole  bodywas  thrown  overboard.  Says 
Solomon,  *  As  a  bird  from  her  nest,  so  is 
a  man  out  of  his  place  ;'  so  long  as  the 
6 


82 


bird  is  in  her  nest,  it  is  free  from  the 
hawk,  it  is  free  from  the  birding-pieoe,  it 
is  free  from  the  nets,  and  gins,  and  snares, 
as  long  as  it  is  in  her  nest ;  but  when  the 
bird  is  off  her  nest,  then  she  is  exposed  to 
many  dangers.  So,  so*  long  as  a  man  is 
in  his  way,  in  his  place  and  in  his  way, 
he  is  well,  and  under  protection;  but 
when  a  man  is  off  his  nest,  out  of  his 
place,  and  out  of  his  way,  then  is  he  ex- 
posed to  all  dangers  :  but,  be  but  in  your 
way,  be  but  in  your  way,  and  then  you 
may  assure  yourselves  of  divine  protec- 
tion, and  of  the  management  thereof  by 
the, hands  of  angels.  Oh  who  would  not 
labour  always  to  be  in  that  way  which 
God  hath  appointed  him  to  be  in?  why 
should  we  not  always  consider  with  our- 
selves, and  say,  'But  am  I  in  my  way  V 
Old  Mr.  Dodd  being  upon  the  water,  and 
going  out  of  one  boat  into  another,  slipped 
between  them,  and  the  first  word  he 
spake  was  this, '  Am  I  in  my  way  V  so  we 
should  always  be  saying,  but  am  I  in  my 
way  ?  am  I  m  my  way  ?  I  am  now  idling 
away  my  time,  but  Am  I  in  my  way  1  Oh 


83 


my  soul,  am  I  in  my  way  ?  I  am  in  my 
calling  this  day,  without  prayer  in  the 
morning,  and  reading  the  Scriptures ;  but 
am  I  in  my  way  1  Oh  my  soul,  am  I  in 
my  way  1  I  am  now  in  such  frothy  com- 
pany, where  I  get  no  good,  but  hurt ;  but 
am  1  in  my  way  ?  ever  consider  this,  am 
I  in  my  way  1  you  may  expect  the  Lord's 
protection,  and  the  angel's  attendance,  if 
you  be  in  your  way,  but  not  else.  Now 
then  as  ever  you  desire  the  protection  of 
the  Almighty,  and  the  attendance  of  an- 
gels, especially  in  this  time  of  danger, 
sickness,  plague  and  pestilence,  let  us  all 
labour  daily  to  look  to  it,  that  we  be  found 
in  our  way,  the  way  the  Lord  hath  set  us 
in  ;  and  what  I  say  to  you,  I  say  to  my^- 
self,  and  to  all,  '  wait  on  the  Lord,  and 
keep  in  his  way.' 


AN  EXPOSITION 


THE  NINETY  FIRST  PSALM, 


BISHOP    HORNE. 


PSALM     X  C  I. 

A  R  G  U  M  P:  N  T. 

The  prophet,  1 — 10,  dcclarcth  the  security  of  the 
righteous  man  under  the  care  and  protcctiou  of 
heaven,  in  times  of  danger,  when,  H,  12,  a  guard 
of  angels  is  set  about  him.  13.  His  final  victory 
over  the  enemies  of  his  salvation  is  f{jretold  j  and 
14 — 16,  God  himself  is  introduced,  promising  him 
deliverance,  exaltuiou,  glory,  and  immortality. 
The  Psalm  is  addressed,  primarily,  to  Messiah- 
That  it  relateth  to  him,  Jews  and  Christians  are 
agreed  ;  and  the  devil,  Matt.  iv.  6,  cited  two  verses 
from  it,  as  universally  known  and  allowed  to  have 
been  spoken  of  him. 

1.  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place 
of  the  Most  High')  shall  abide  under  the 
shadow  of  the  almighty.  2.  I  will  say 
of  the  Lord,  He  is  my  refuge  and  my 
fortress  :  my  God,  in  him  ivill  I  trust.  3. 
Surely  he  shall  deliver  thee  from  the 
snare  of  the  fowler,  and  from  the  noisome 
-pestilence. 

In  these  verses,  as  they  now  stand, 
there  is  much  obscurity  and  confusion. 
Bishop  Lowth,  in  his  26th  Lecture,  seem- 


88 


eth  to  have  given  their  true  construction. 
*'  He  who  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of 
the  Most  High  ;  who  ahideth  under  the 
shadow  of  the  Almighty  ;  who  saith  of 
the  Lord,  He  is  my  refuge  and  my  fort- 
ress, my  God,  in  whom  I  will  trust ;" — 
leaving  the  sentence  thus  imperfect,  the 
Psalmist  maketh  a  beautiful  apostrophe 
to  that  person  whom  he  has  been  describ- 
ing— "  Surely  he  shall  deliver  thee  from 
the  snare  of  the  fowler,  and  from  the 
noisome  pestilence."  The  description 
is  eminently  applicable  to  the  man  Christ 
Jesus.*  He  is  represented  as  dwelling, 
like  the  ark  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  under 
the  immediate  "  shadow"  and  protection 
of  the  Almighty,  who  was  his  "  refuge 
and  fortress"  against  the  open  attacks  of 
his  enemies ;  his  preserver  from  the 
"  snares"  of  the  devil,  and  from  the  uni- 
versal contagion  of  sin,  that  spiritual 
"  pestilence."     In  all  dangers,  whether 


*Ode  Davidica  insignis  xci  ngit  directe  et  primo 
loco  de  tegiuinc  et  defcnsione  quara  Deus  Christo 
Jesu  Doctori  et  apostolis  ipsius  preeataret.- f^itrtw^a 
Comment.  Jesia.  ii.  565. 


89 


spiritual  or  corporeal,  the  members  of 
Christ's  mystical  body  may  reflect  with 
comfort,  that  they  are  under  the  same 
Almighty  Protector. 

4.  He  shall  cover  thee  with  his  fea- 
thers, and  under  his  wings  shalt  thou 
trust :  his  truth  shall  be  thy  shield  and 
buckler. 

The  security  afforded,  by  a  superin- 
tending Providence,  to  those  who  trust 
therein,  is  here  with  the  utmost  beauty 
and  elegance,  compared  to  that  shelter 
which  the  young  of  birds  are  always 
sure  to  find  under  the  "  wings"  of  their 
dam,  when  fear  causeth  them  to  fly  thi- 
ther for  refuge. — See  Deut.  xxxii.  11. 
Matt,  xxiii.  37.  The  "  truth"  of  God's 
word,  wherein  he  promisethto  be  our  de- 
fence, is,  to  a  believer,  his  "shield  and 
buckler,"  in  the  day  of  battle  and  war. 

5.  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the 
terror  by  night ;  nor  for  the  arrow  that 

fiieth  by  day  :    6.  Nor  for  the  pestilence 
that  xoalketh  in  darkness:  nor  for  the  de- 
struction that  luasteth  at  noon  day. 
How  much  man  standeth  in  need  of  the 


90 


above-mentioned  protection  of  heaven,  ap- 
peareth  from  a  survey  of  the  dangers  to 
which  he  is  continually  exposed.  Vari- 
ous are  the  terrors  of  the  night :  mani- 
fold the  perils  of  the  day  ;  from  diseases, 
whose  infection  maketh  its  progress  un- 
observed ;  from  assaults,  casualties,  and 
accidents,  which  can  neither  be  foreseen, 
nor  guarded  against.  The  soul  hath  like- 
wise her  enemies,  ready  to  attack  and 
surprise  her  at  all  hours.  Avarice  and 
ambition  are  abroad  watching  for  her  in 
the  day,  while  concupiscence,  like  a  pes- 
tilence, "  walketh  in  darkness."  In  ad- 
versity, she  is  disturbed  by  terrors ;  in 
prosperity,  still  more  endangered  by  plea- 
sures. But  Jesus  Christ  has  overcome 
the  world,  to  prevent  us  being  overcome 
by  it. 

7.  A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side, 
and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand :  but 
it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee. 

The  promise  has  oftentimes,  in  a  won- 
derful manner,  been  verified  to  those 
faithful  servants  of  God,  whom  the  pesti- 
lence itself  hath  not  deterred  from  doing 


91 


the  duties  of  their  station.*  The  bishop, 
and  some  of  the  intendants  of  Marseilles, 
who  continued  to  perform  their  respective 
offices,  during  the  whole  time  of  the 
the  plague  there,  in  1720,  are  signal  and 
well  kno\ni  instances.  Sin  is  a  pesti- 
lence, the  contagion  of  which  no  son  of 
Adam  ever  escaped,  but  the  blessed  Je- 
sus. He  stood  alone  untouched  by  its 
venom ;  thousands  and  ten  thousands,  all 
the  myriads  of  mankind,  fell  around 
him  ;  '•  but  it  did  not  come  nigh  Him." 
Heal  us  of  this  our  distemper,  O  thou 
Physician  of  souls,  and  let  it  not  prove 
our  everlasting  destruction ;  "  stand," 
like  thy  representative  of  old,  "  between 
the  dead  and  the  Hving,  and  let  the  plague 
be  stayed." — Numb.  xvi.  47,  48. 

8.  Only  with  thine  eyes  shalt  thou  he^ 
hold  and  see  the  reiuard  of  the  wicked. 

The  meaning  is,   that    the  righteous 

*  During  the  plague  which  visited  London  in  the 
year  1665,  there  were  in  the  month  of  August  1000 
died  per  day.  Stepney  parish  had  116  sextons  and 
gravediggcrs.  Ausust  and  September  1600  deaths 
per  day,  30,000  died  in  three  weeks,  100,000  were 
uick. 


92 


person,  all  along  spoken  of,  himself  se- 
cure from  the  judgments  of  God,  should 
in  safety  behold  the  destruction  wrought 
by  them  upon  impenitent  and  incorrigible 
sinners.  This  will  be  the  case  with  the 
church,  as  well  as  her  glorious  Head,  at 
the  last  day. 

9.  Because  thou  hast  made  the  Lord, 
which  is  my  refuge,  even  the  Most  High 
thy  habitation :  10.  There  slmll  no  evil 
befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague  come 
nigh  thy  divelling. 

The  sentiment  in  these  verses  is  evi- 
dently the  same  with  that  in  verses  5,  6, 
namely,  that  God  preserveth  such  as  trust 
in  him,  after  the  pattern  of  the  holy  Je- 
sus, from  those  evils,  and  from  that  per- 
dition, which  are  reserved  for  the  ungod- 
ly. Dr.  Durell  translates  the  9th  verse, 
in  the  way  of  apostrophe,  literally  thus, — 
"  Surely,  thou,  O  Lord,  art  my  refuge ;  O 
Most  High,  thou  hast  fixed  thine  habita- 
tion ;"  i.  e.  in  Sion,  to  be  the  protector  of 
his  servant. 

11.  For  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge 
over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways.  19. 


93 


They  shall  hear  thee  up  in  their  hands, 
lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

This  passage  was  cited  by  the  devil, 
who  tempted  our  Lord  to  cast  himself 
from  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  upon  pre- 
sumption of  the  promise  here  made,  that 
angels  should  guard  and  support  him  in 
all  dangers.  But  Christ,  in  his  answer, 
at  once  detecteth  and  exposeth  the  so- 
phistry of  the  grand  deceiver,  by  show- 
ing, that  the  promise  belonged  only  to 
those  who  fell  unavoidably  into  danger, 
in  the  course  of  duty  ;  such  might  hope 
for  the  help  and  protection  of  heaven ; 
but  that  he  who  should  wantonly  and  ab- 
surdly throw  himself  into  peril,  merely  to 
try  whether  Providence  would  bring  him 
out  of  it,  must  expect  to  perish  for  his 
pains.  "  Jesus  saith  unto  him.  It  is 
written  again,  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the 
Lord  thy  God."— Matt.  iv.  7. 

13.  Thou  shalt  tread  upon  the  lion  and 
adder ;  the  young  lion  and  the  dragon 
shalt  thou  trample  under  thy  feet. 

The  fury  and  the  venom  of  our  spirit- 
ual enemies  are  often  in  Scripture  por- 


94 


trayed  by  the  natural  qualities  of  "  lions 
and  serpents."  Messiah's  complete  vic- 
tory over  those  enemies  seemeth  here  to 
be  predicted.  Through  grace,  he  maketh 
us  more  than  conquerors  in  our  conflicts 
with  the  same  adversaries.  "  The  God 
of  peace,"  saith  St.  Paul,  "  shall  bruise 
Satan  under  your  feet  shortly." — Rom. 
xvi.  20.  And  it  is  observable,  that  when 
the  seventy  disciples  return  to  Christ 
with  joy,  saying,  "  Lord,  even  the  devils 
are  subject  unto  us  through  thy  name  ;" 
he  answers,  in  the  metaphorical  language 
of  our  Psalm, — "  Behold  I  give  unto  you 
power  to  tread  on  scorpions  and  serpents, 
and  over  all  the  power  of  the  enemy,  and 
nothing  shall  by  any  means  hurt  you. 
Notwithstanding,  in  this  rejoice  not,  that 
the  spirits  are  subject  unto  you."  &c. — 
Luke  X.  17.  Give  us,  O  Lord,  courage 
to  resist  the  "  lion's"  rage,  and  wisdom  to 
elude  the  wiles  of  the  "  serpent." 

14.  Because  he  hath  set  his  love  upon 
me,  therefore  will  I  deliver  him :  I  will 
set  him  on  high,  because  he  hath  known 
my  name.     15.   He  shall  call  upon  me, 


95 


and  I  will  answer  him;  I  will  be  ivith 
him  in  trouble,  I  ivill  deliver  him,  and 
honour,  or  glorify  him.  16.  With  long  life 
ivill  I  satisfy  him,  and  show  him  my  sal- 
vation. 

In  the  former  part  of  our  Psalm,  the 
prophet  had  spoken  in  his  OAvn  person : 
here  God  himself  is  plainly  introduced 
as  the  speaker.  And,  O  how  sweet,  how 
delightful  and  comfortable  are  his  words, 
addressed  eminently  to  his  beloved  Son 
Messiah ;  and  in  him  to  all  of  us,  his 
adopted  children,  and  the  heirs  of  eternal 
life ;  to  all  who  love  God,  and  have 
"  known  his  name !"  To  such  are  pro- 
mised an  answ^er  to  their  prayers;  the 
presence  of  their  heavenly  Father  with 
them ;  in  the  day  of  trouble,  protection 
and  deliverance ;  salvation,  and  honour, 
and  glory,  and  inmiortality.  All  these 
promises  have  already  been  made  good  to 
our  gracious  Head  and  Representative. 
His  prayers  have  been  heaid ;  his  suffer- 
ings are  over ;  he  is  risen  and  ascended  ; 
and,  behold,  he  liveth  and  reigneth  for 
evermore.      Swift    fly  the  intermediate 


96 


years,  and  rise  that  long  expected  morn- 
ing, when  he,  who  is  gone  "  to  prepare  a 
place  for  us,  shall  come  again,  and  take 
us  to  himself,  that  where  he  is  we  may 
be  also. 


EXTRACT 
FROM  AN  ACCOUNT 

OF 

THE  GREAT  PLAGUE 

IN  THE 

FOURTEENTH  CENTURY. 


THE  GREAT  PLAGUE 

IN  THE  FOURTEEXTH  CENTURY. 

The  memory  of  the  Great  Plague  in 
London  has  been  rendered  immortal  by 
the  prose  of  Daniel  Defoe,  and  the  poe- 
try of  John  Wilson.  But  the  greater 
?lague  which  overran  almost  the  whole 
world,  three  centuries  before,  is  almost 
forgotten.  A  slight  sketch-of  its  history, 
drawn  from  old  chroniclers,  will  show, 
by  comparison,  what  a  small  matter  is 
magnified  into  a  pestilence  in  the  pre- 
sent day. 

This  dreadful  pestilence,  like  the 
Cholera,  made  its  first  appearance  in 
the  East.  It  arose  in  China,  Tartary, 
India  and  Egypt,  about  the  year  1345. 
It  was  ascribed  by  the  contemporary 
writers,  Mezeray  and  Giovanni  Villani, 


100 

to  a  general  corruption  of  the  atmos- 
phere accompanied  by  the  appearance 
of  millions  of  small  serpents  and  other 
venomous  insects,  and,  in  other  places, 
quantities  of  huge  vermin,  with  numer- 
ous legs,  and  of  a  hideous  aspect,  which 
filled  the  air  with  putrid  exhalations. 
Making  every  alloAvance  for  the  igno- 
rance and  credulity  of  the  age,  it  ap- 
pears evident  that  some  natural  causes 
had  contributed  to  corrupt  the  air  and 
load  it  with  pestiferous  vapors.  And  it 
is  remarkable  that,  before  the  disease 
appeared  in  Europe,  singular  meteoro- 
logical phenomena,  of  a  similar  nature, 
took  place.  Thus,  it  came  into  England 
in  the  end  of  the  year  1348  ;  and  it  had 
rained  from  the  previous  Christmas  till 
midsummer,  almost  without  cessation  ; 
"  so  that  all  the  while,"  to  use  the  words 
of  an  old  writer,  "  it  hardly  ever  held  up 
so  much  as  for  one  day  and  night  to- 
gether." Great  inundations  followed  ; 
and  accumulations  of  stagnant  water, 
by  which  the  whole  atmosphere  was 
poisoned.    In  France,  several  strange 


101 

meteoric  appearances  are  described  by 
writers  of  credit. 

During  the  same  period  there  were 
many  dreadful  earthquakes  ;  some  of 
them  in  places  where  such  phenomena 
have  since  been  unheard  of.  At  Rome, 
an  earthquake  threw  down  a  great  num- 
ber of  houses,  steeples,  and  churches. 
At  Naples  there  was  an  earthquake, 
accompanied  with  a  tremendous  hurri- 
cane, which  destroyed  a  large  portion 
of  the  city.  On  this  occasion  it  is  re- 
lated, that  while  a  friar  was  preaching 
to  a  crowded  congregation,  he  and  his 
auditory  were  swallowed  up  in  an  in- 
stant— all  but  one  individual,  who  ob- 
served the  tremblmg  of  the  earth  in 
time  to  save  himself  by  flight.  A  great 
multitude  of  the  inhabitants  were  buried 
in  the  ruins  of  their  habitations  ;  and 
the  citizens  durst  not  venture  in  their 
houses,  but  remained  terrified  in  the 
market  places  or  fields,  till  the  earth- 
quake (which  continued  by  fits  for  eight 
days,)  had  spent  its  fury.  In  Greece, 
particularly  in  the  Morea,  and  the  land 


102 

of  Cyprus,  whole  villages  were  over- 
whelmed. Even  in  Germany,  a  coun- 
try not  liable  to  this  calamity,  there 
was  an  earthquake  which  extended 
over  a  great  part  of  Austria  and  Syria, 
and  destroyed  many  towns  and  villages 
in  those  districts.  "  And  many  other 
provinces,"  says  an  old  historian,  "  suf- 
fered such  lasting  characters  of  the  fu- 
ry of  these  strong  convulsions  of  nature, 
that,  lest  the  joint  concurrence  of  so 
many  authors  of  those  days  should  not 
obtain  sufficient  credit,  they  might  be 
very  plainly  read  even  by  late  posteri- 
ty." These  earthquakes  were  gene- 
rally attended  with  storms  of  thunder 
and  lightning,  wind  and  hail. 

In  many  of  these  accounts  we  may 
presume  that  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
exaggeration.  But  the  testimonies  are 
too  numerous  and  respectable  to  leave 
any  doubt  that,  before  and  during  the 
pestilence,  the  elements  were  in  a  state 
of  general  convulsion,  which  seems  un- 
paralleled in  history. 


103 

The  plague  extended  its  ravages 
from  India  into  the  more  western  parts 
of  Asia,  into  Egypt,  Abyssinia,  and 
thence  into  the  northern  parts  of  Afri- 
ca. It  proceeded  over  Asia  Minor, 
Greece,  and  the  islands  of  the  Archi- 
pelago, almost  depopulating  the  regions 
over  which  it  stalked.  It  may  be  lite- 
rally said  to  have  decimated  the  world, 
even  though  we  were  to  take  this  term 
as  implying  the  destruction  of  nine,  in 
place  of  one  out  of  ten.  According  to 
Mezeray,  and  other  writers,  where  it 
was  most  favorable,  it  left  one  out  of 
three,  or  one  out  of  five,  but  where  it 
raged  most  violently,  it  scarce  left  a 
fifteenth  or  twentieth  person  alive. 
Some  countries,  partly  by  plague,  and 
partly  by  earthquakes,  were  left  quite 
desolate.  Giovanni  Villani  says,  that 
in  a  part  of  Mesopotamia,  only  some 
Avomen  survived,  who  were  driven  by 
extremity  and  despair  to  devour  one 
another. 

The  plague  appears  to  have  staid 
five  or  six  months  in  one  place,  and 


101 

then  to  have  gone  in  search  of  fresh 
victims.  Its  symptoms  are  minutely 
described  by  many  writers,  and  appear 
to  have  been  the  same  in  every  coun- 
try it  visited.  It  generally  appeared 
in  the  groin,  or  under  the  armpits, 
where  swellings  were  produced,  which 
broke  into  sores,  attended  with  fever, 
spitting  and  vomiting  of  blood.  The 
patient  frequently  died  in  half  a  day — 
generally  within  a  day  or  two  at  most. 
If  he  survived  the  third  day,  there  was 
hope  ;  though  even  then  many  fell  into 
a  deep  sleep  from  which  they  never 
awoke. 

Before  the  pestilence  invaded  Chris- 
tendom, it  is  recorded,  in  a  report  made 
to  the  pope  at  Avignon,  that  it  swept 
away  twenty-three  millions  eight  hun- 
dred thousand  persons  throughout  the 
East,  in  the  course  of  a  single  year. 
While  the  Christians  remained  untouch- 
ed, their  supposed  immunity,  since  their 
neighbors  were  suffering  the  extremity 
of  the  malady,  operated  so  strongly  on 
the  minds  of  some  of  the  heathen  prin- 


10.5 

ces,  that  they  resolved  to  propitiate 
heaven  by  embracing  Christianity.  The 
king-  of  Tarsis,  accompanied  by  a  great 
multitude  of  his  princes  and  nobles, 
actually  set  out  on  his  journey  to  Avig- 
non, to  receive  baptism  from  Pope  Cle- 
ment VI.  But  hearing  on  his  way  that 
the  Christians  too  had  become  victims 
to  the  destroyer,  he  returned  home. 

From  Greece  the  plague  passed  into 
Italy.  The  Venetians,  having  lost 
100,000  souls,  fled  from  their  city,  and 
left  it  almost  uninhabited.  At  Florence, 
60,000  persons  died  in  one  year.  Among 
these  was  the  historian  Giovanni  Villa- 
ni,  whose  writings  we  have  already 
referred  to.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  his  age  ;  and  his 
historical  works  are  looked  upon  as 
correct  and  valuable.  He  was  the  an- 
nalist of  this  pestilence  almost  down  to 
the  day  of  his  falling  a  victim  to  it. 
France  next  became  exposed  to  its  ra- 
vages. At  Avignon  the  mortality  was 
horrible.  In  the  strong  language  of 
Stow,  people  died  bleeding  at  the  nose, 


106 


ran  with  blood,  and  streams  of  putrid 
gore  issued  from  the  graves,  and  sepul- 
chres of  the  dead.  When  it  first  broke 
out  there,  no  fewer  than  sixty-six  of 
the  Carmelite  friars  died  before  any- 
body knew  how,  so  that  it  was  imagined 
they  had  murdered  one  another.  Of 
the  members  of  the  English  College  at 
Avignon,  not  one  was  lefl  alive  ;  and 
of  the  whole  inhabitants  of  the  city,  not 
one  in  five.  According- to  a  statement, 
or  bill  of  mortality,  laid  before  the  Pope, 
there  died  in  one  day  1212,  and  in  an- 
other 400  persons.  The  malady  pro- 
ceeded northward  through  France,  till 
it  reached  Paris,  where  it  cut  off  50,000 
people.  About  the  same  time  it  spread 
into  Germany,  where  its  ravages  are 
estimated  at  the  enormous  amount  of 
12,400,000  souls.  At  LubecJi  alone, 
according  to  the  concurring  accounts  of 
several  writers,  90,000  persons  were 
swept  away  in  one  year,  of  whom  1500 
are  reported  to  have  died  in  the  space 
of  four  hours. 


107 


At  last  this  fearful  scourge  began  to 
be  felt  in  England.  About  the  begin- 
ning of  August,  1348,  it  appeared  in  the 
sea  port  toAvns  on  the  coas4;s  of  Dorset, 
Devon,  and  Somersetshire,  whence  it 
proceeded  to  Bristol.  The  people  of 
Gloucestershire  immediately  interdict- 
ed all  intercourse  with  Bristol,  but  in 
vain.  The  disease  ran,  or  rather  flew, 
over  Gloucestershire.  Thence  it  spread 
to  Oxford  ;  and  about  the  1st  of  No- 
vember reached  London.  Finally  it 
spread  itself  all  over  England,  scattered 
every  where  such  destruction,  that  out 
of  the  whole  population,  hardly  one 
personin  ten  was  left  alive. 

Incredible  as  this  statement  may  ap- 
pear, it  seems  borne  out  by  the  details 
of  contemporary  annalists.  In  the 
churchyard  of  Yarmouth,  7052  persons, 
who  died  of  the  plague,  were  buried  in 
one  year.  In  the  city  of  Norwich, 
57,374  persons  died  in  six  months,  be- 
tween the  first  of  January  and  the  first 
of  July.  In  the  city  of  York  the  mor- 
tality was  equal.    We  find  no  general 


108 

statement  of  the  total  amount  of  the 
mortality  in  London  ;  but  there  are  de- 
tails sufficient  to  show  that  it  must  have 
been  horrible  beyond  imagination.  The 
dead  were  thrown  into  pits,  forty,  fifty, 
or  sixty,  into  one  ;  and  large  fields  were 
employed  as  burial  places,  the  church- 
yards being  insufficient  for  the  purpose. 
No  attempt  was  made  to  perform  this 
last  office  with  the  usual  care  and  de- 
cency. Deep  and  broad  ditches  were 
made,  in  which  the  dead  bodies  were 
laid  in  rows,  and  covered  with  earth, 
and  surmounted  with  another  layer  of 
bodies,  which  also  was  covered.  Sir 
Walter  Manny,  (whose  name  is  so  well 
knoAvn  from  his  connection  with  the  af- 
fecting incidentof  the  surrender  of  Ca- 
lais to  Edward  III.,)  benevolently  pur- 
chased and  appropriated  a  burial  ground 
near  Smithfield,  in  which  single  place 
more  than  fifty  thousand  people  were 
buried.  Stow  says  that  he  had  seen, 
on  a  stone  cross  in  that  burial  ground, 
the  following  quaint  inscription :  "  Anno 
Domini  MCCCXLIX.  regnante  magna 


109 

pestilentia  consecratuni  fuit  hoc  coemi- 
terium  ;  in  quo,  et  infra  septa  prassentis 
monasterii :  sepulta  fuerunt  mortuorum 
corpora  plusquam  LM.  prseter  alia  multa 
abhine  usque  ad  prsesens.  Quorum 
animabus  propitietur  Deus.  Amen." 

This  pestilence  gave  occasion  to 
some  diplomatic  intercourse  between 
England  and  France,  which  is  striking- 
ly characteristic  of  the  manners  of  the 
age.  While  the  mortality  was  raging 
in  those  countries,  Pope  Clement  VI. 
never  ceased  importuning  the  monarchs 
of  both  to  put  an  end  to  their  mutual 
hostility,  and,  by  doing  so,  to  avoid  the 
continuance  of  a  calamity  sent  by  hea- 
ven to  punish  the  sins  of  mankind.  Ed- 
ward and  Philip  were  induced  by  these 
pious  exhortations  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners, who  met  between  Calais  and 
St.  Omers  to  negotiate  a  treaty.  The 
French  insisted  on  the  restoration  of 
Calais,  or  the  raising  of  its  fortifica- 
tions ;  a  proposition  which  the  English- 
would  not  listen  to.  At  last,  however, 
a  truce  was  agreed  upon  for  six  months, 


110 

till  September  following,  in  order  to 
allow  time  to  negotiate  for  a  peace  ; 
and  it  was  farther  agreed,  that  if,  at  the 
end  of  the  trace,  a  final  treaty  was  not 
concluded,  the  crown  of  France  was  to 
be  brought  to  a  convenient  place  with- 
in that  realm,  and  the  right  to  it  decided 
by  a  pitched  battle,  without  farther  ap- 
peal. The  death  of  the  French  king, 
however,  which  happened  in  August, 
1350,  before  the  expiration  of  the  truce, 
put  an  end  to  this  smooth  and  amicable 
plan  of  accommodation. 

The  mortality  fell  chiefly  upon  the 
lower  classes  of  society,  and  among 
them,  principally  on  old  men,  women 
and  children.  It  was  remarked,  that 
not  one  king  or  prince  of  any  nation 
died  of  the  plague  ;  and  of  the  English 
nobility,  and  people  of  distinction,  very 
few  were  cut  off  by  it.  Among  the 
higher  orders  of  the  church,  the  deaths 
were  rare  ;  but  such  havoc  was  made 
among  the  inferior  clergy,  that  numbers 
of  churches  were  left  wholly  void,  and 
without  any  one  to  perform  divine  ser- 


Ill 

vice,  or  any  offices  of  religion.  At  the 
same  time,  all  suits  and  proceedings  in 
the  courts  of  justice  ceased  ;  and  the 
sitting  of  parliament  was  intermitted 
for  more  than  two  years. 

This  terrible  visitation  was  every 
where  attended  by  a  total  dissolution  of 
the  bonds  of  society.  An  excellent  old 
writer,  gives  the  following  eloquent 
description  of  the  state  of  England  : — 
"  We  are  told  the  influence  of  this  dis- 
ease was  so  contagious,  that  it  not  only 
infected  by  a  touch  or  breathing,  but 
transfused  its  malignity  into  the  very 
beams  of  light,  and  darted  death  from 
the  eyes  ;  and  the  very  seats  and  gar- 
ments of  such  proved  fatal.  Where- 
fore parents  forsook  their  children,  and 
wives  their  husbands  ;  nor  would  phy- 
sicians here  make  their  visits,  for  nei- 
ther were  they  able  to  do  good  to  others, 
and  they  were  almost  certain  thereby  to 
destroy  themselves.  Even  the  priests 
also,  for  the  same  horrid  consideration, 
forbore  either  to  administer  the  sacra- 
ments or  absolve  the  dying  penitent. 


112 

But  yet  neither  priests,  nor  physicians, 
nor  any  other  who  sought  thus  to  es- 
cape, did  find  their  caution  of  any  ad- 
vantage :  for  death  not  only  raged 
without  doors  as  well  as  in  chambers, 
but,  as  if  it  took  indignation  that  any 
mortal  should  think  to  fly  from  it,  these 
kind  of  people  died  both  more  speedily 
and  proportionately  in  greater  numbers. 
Then  was  their  death  without  sorrow, 
affinity  without  friendship,  wilful  pen- 
ance and  dearth  without  scarcity,  and 
flying  without  refuge  or  succor.  For 
many  fled  from  place  to  place  because 
of  the  pestilence  ;  some  into  deserts 
and  places  not  inhabited,  either  in  hope 
or  despair.  But  quick-sighted  destruc- 
tion found  them  out,  and  nimble-footed 
misery  was  ever  ready  to  attend  them. 
Others,  having  hired  boats  or  other  ves- 
sels, into  which  they  laid  up  provision, 
thought,  or  at  least  hoped,  so  to  elude 
the  power  of  the  infection,  but  the  de- 
stroying angel,  like  that  in  the  Revela- 
tion, had  one  foot  upon  the  waters  as 
well   as  on   the  land,  for,  alas!    the 


very  air  they  breathed  being  tainted, 
they  drew  in  death  together  with  life 
itself.  The  horror  of  these  things  made 
others  to  lock  theraselvey  up  in  their 
houses,  gardens,  and  sweet  retired  pla- 
ces ;  but  the  evil  they  intended  to  ex- 
clude pursued  them  through  all  their 
defences,  and  they  had  this  only  differ- 
ence, to  die  without  the  company  of  any 
that  might  serve  or  pity  them.  No 
physician  could  tell  the  cause,  or  pre- 
scribe a  cure  ;  and  even  what  was  sav- 
ing to  one  was  no  less  than  fatal  to 
another.  No  astrologer  could  divine 
how  or  when  it  would  cease  ;  the  only 
way  left  was  to  be  prepared  to  receive 
it,  and  the  most  comfortable  resolution 
to  expect  it  without  fear." 

The  pestilence  extended  into  Wales, 
where  it  raged  violently  ;  and  soon  af- 
terwards, passing  into  Ireland,  it  made 
great  havoc  among  the  English  settled 
in  that  island.  But  it  was  remarked 
that  the  native  Irish  were  little  affect- 
ed, particularly  those  that  dwelt  in  hilly 
districts. 

8 


114 

As  to  the  Scots,  they  are  said  to  have 
brought  the  malada  upon  themselves. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  defenceless 
state  of  England,  they  made  a  hostile 
irruption,  Avith  a  large  force,  into  the 
country.  But  they  had  not  proceeded 
far,  when  the  calamity  which  they 
courted,  and  so  well  deserved  from  their 
ungenerous  conduct,  overtook  them. 
They  perished  in  thousands  ;  and,  in 
attempting  to  return  home,  they  were 
overtaken,  before  they  could  reach  the 
border,  by  a  strong  body  of  English, 
who  routed  them  with  great  slaughter. 
The  remnant  carried  the  disease  into 
Scotland,  where  its  ravages  were  soon 
as  destructive  as  in  the  southern  parts 
of  the  island.  "  Scotland,"  says  the 
writer  whom  we  have  already  quoted, 
"  partook  of  the  universal  contagion  in 
as  high  a  degree,  and  in  the  same  man- 
ner, as  other  countries  had  done  before  ; 
only  in  this  there  was  a  difference,  that 
whereas  other  nations  sat  still  and  wait- 
ed for  it,  the  Scots  did  seem  ambitious 
to    fetch  it    in    among  themselves  1" 


115 

However  much  Scotland  may  have  had 
to  complain  of  the  oppression  and  ty- 
ranny of  England  under  the  Edwards, 
it  was  ungenerous  and  unworthy  of  a 
brave  people  to  attempt  to  retaliate  on 
a  nation  laid  prostrate  by  the  hand  of 
Heaven.  At  the  same  time,  there  is 
no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  general 
cause,  whatever  it  was,  of  the  pesti- 
lence, would  at  any  rate  have  soon  ex- 
tended to  Scotland,  as  well  as  Wales 
and  Ireland. 

Early  in  the  year  1349,  the  plague 
began  to  abate  in  England  ;  and  by  the 
month  of  August  it  had  entirely  disap- 
peared. Its  consequences,  however, 
continued  for  some  time  to  be  severely 
felt.  During  the  prevalence  of  the 
disease,  the  cattle,  for  want  of  men  to 
tend  them,  were  allowed  to  wander 
about  the  fields  at  random,  and  perished 
in  such  numbers  as  to  occasion  a  great 
scarcity.  Though  the  fields,  too,  were 
covered  with  a  plentiful  crop  of  corn, 
much  of  it  was  lost  for  want  of  hands  to 
reap  it  and  gather  it  in.    The  scarcity 


116 

of  hands  naturally  produced  excessive- 
ly high  wages.  A  reaper  was  not 
to  be  had  under  eight-pence  a  day, 
nor  a  mower  under  twelve-pence,  be- 
sides victuals  :  and  every  other  sort  of 
labor  was  paid  in  proportion.*  This 
gave  occasion  to  the  act  of  the  25th  of 
Edward  III.,  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Statute  of  Laborers  ;  which,  on  account 
of  "the  insolence  of  servants,  who  en- 
deavored to  raise  their  wages  upon 
their  masters,"  ordained  that  they 
should  be  contented  with  the  same 
wages  and  liveries  which  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  receive  in  the  20th  year 
of  the  king.  In  spite  of  his  statute, 
high  wages  continned  to  be  given  by 
people  who  preferred  doing  so  to  losing 
the  grain  and  other  fruits  of  the  earth, 


*  In  the  time  of  Edward  III.,  ten-pence  contained 
half  an  ounce  of  silver,  and  w^s,  consequently, 
equal  to  half  a  crown  of  our  present  money.  The 
nbove  wages  therefore,  were  equivalent  to  two  shil- 
lings and  three  shillings  of  our  money.  At  the  time 
the  quarter  of  wheat  was  then  six  shillings  and 
eightpeBce,  or  twenty  shillings  of  modern  mo- 
ney.—Wealth  of  Nations,  Book  I,  chap.  11. 


117 

till  Edward  enforced  obedience  to  it  by 
severe  measures  both  against  masters 
and  laborers.  The  enforcement  of  this 
statute  is  said  by  old  writers  to  have 
prevented  a  famine  from  raging  in  Eng- 
land, similar  to  the  one  which  afflicted 
the  other  countries  that  had  undergone 
the  visitation  of  the  pestilence.  How 
far  it  could  have  produced  so  salutary 
an  affect,  however,  may  well  be  ques- 
tioned. 

The  last  dregs  of  this  calamity  were 
drained  by  that  unfortunate  race,  the 
Jews.  A  belief  spread  over  several 
countries  that  they  had  produced  the 
pestilence  by  poisoning  the  wells  and 
fountains  ;  and,  in  many  places,  they 
were  massacred  in  thousands  by  the  in- 
furiated populace.  In  several  parts  of 
Germany,  where  this  persecution  chief- 
ly raged,  the  Jews  were  literally  exter- 
minated. Twelve  thousand  of  them 
were  murdered  in  the  single  city  of 
Mentz  :  and  multitudes  of  them,  in  the 
extremity  of  their  despair,  shut  them- 


118 

selves  up  in  their  houses,  and  consumed 
themselves,  and  their  families  and  pro- 
perty with  fire.  The  extent  of  such 
atrocities,  in  a  barbarous  age,  may  well 
be  imagined,  when  we  remember  the 
outrages  which  were  produced  by  the 
cholera  panic,  only  a  few  months  ago, 
in  some  parts  of  the  continent. 

Though  the  pestilence  ceased  in 
England  in  1349,  yet  the  destroying 
angel  continued  his  progress  through 
other  regions  for  several  years  longer, 
marks  of  his  presence  remaining  on 
record  down  to  the  year  1362.  The 
world  has  suffered  no  similar  visitation 
since  ;  nor  does  its  older  history  afford 
any  instance  of  a  calamity  of  the  same 
kind,  equally  extensive  and  destructive. 
Even  the  pestilence  so  eloquently  de- 
scribed by  Gibbon,  which  ravaged  a 
great  part  of  the  Roman  empire  ;  seems 
to  have  been  inferior  in  magnitude  ;  and 
the  famous  plague  of  Athens  was  con- 
fined within  a  still  narrower  compass. 
In  almost  every  other   memorable  in- 


119 

stance  of  the  plague,  it  has  been  limited 
to  a  particular  district,  or  even  a  parti- 
cular city. 

Our  present  object  has  been  merely 
to  collect  some  circumstances  of  the 
history  of  this  most  remarkable  event, 
and  not  to  enter  into  the  question  of  the 
theory  of  pestilence.  We  may,  howe- 
ver, observe  that  not  only  was  the  great 
plage,  of  which  we  have  been  speaking, 
preceded  and  accompanied  by  disorders 
of  the  elements,  tending  to  produce  a 
general  corruption  of  the  atmosphere, 
but  the  very  same  phenomena  are  re- 
corded in  the  other  cases  where  the 
plague  extended  itself  over  various  re- 
gions. In  those  eastern  countries,  too, 
where  the  plague  is  found  to  prevail 
almost  constantly,  it  always  occurs  at 
times  and  places  where  the  atmosphere 
is  corrupted,  either  by  physical  causes 
or  by  the  shockingly  filthy  habits  of  the 
inhabitants,  or  by  both  together.  That 
a  corrupted  state  of  the  atmosphere, 
therefore,  is  a  cause  of  the  plague,  can- 
not be  doubted  ;  and  it  is  a  question 


190 

whether,  to  this  certain  cause,  it  is  ne^ 
cessary  to  join  the  additional  cause  of 
contagion.  As  the  ascertained  cause 
suffices  to  account  for  every  fact  con- 
nected with  the  disease,  we  confess  we 
do  not  see  the  necessity  for  having-  re- 
course to  two  separate  causes  for  the 
same  effect.  And  it  is  a  strong  circum- 
stance, that  in  those  countries  where 
the  disease  is  most  familiarly  known, 
little  fear  is  entertained  of  contagion. 
"  The  more  intelligent  among  the 
Turks,"  says  a  recent  writer  on  this 
subject,  "seems  to  be  aware  that  the 
plague  is  not  contagious  ;  and  we  are 
assured  that  they  do  not  destroy  the 
bedding  or  clothes  of  those  v/ho  die  of 
the  distemper,  but  often  immediately 
put  them  on  and  wear  them  without 
any  ill  effects,  or  the  smallest  appre- 
hension from  contagion." 


THK     EVJ), 


Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1   1012  01004  9353 


